plumiIdeal gases: OCR A‑Level Physics A questions
Every OCR A-Level Physics A exam question on 5.1.4 Ideal gases, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q19(d)
The whole paper ↗![June 2025 Paper 1, question 19(d): After one hour the number of moles of gas above the remaining liquid oxygen is 710. Calculate the pressure of the gas. pressure = kPa [3]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun25-19-d-qp.webp?v=3)
Q20(a)
The whole paper ↗![June 2025 Paper 1, question 20(a): Complete the missing value in the table. [1] 1200 1000 800 Specific heat capacity 600 / Jkg–1 K–1 400 200 0 0 10 20 30 Number of particles per unit mass / 1024](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun25-20-a-qp.webp?v=3)
Q20(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗![June 2024 Paper 1, question 20(a)(i): Define the internal energy of an ideal gas. [1]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun24-20-ai-qp.webp?v=3)
Q20(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗
Q20(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗![June 2024 Paper 1, question 20(b)(i): [2]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun24-20-bi-qp.webp?v=3)
Q20(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗![June 2024 Paper 1, question 20(b)(ii): Calculate the molar mass of the gas assuming an absolute temperature of 290 K and r.m.s. speed of 430 m s–1. molar mass = kg mol–1 [3]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun24-20-bii-qp.webp?v=3)
Q20(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗![June 2024 Paper 1, question 20(c)(ii): Calculate the pressure of the gas within the filament lamp during manufacture. pressure = kPa [2]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun24-20-cii-qp.webp?v=3)
Q1(b)(i)
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Q1(b)(ii)
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Q20(a)
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Q20(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗![June 2023 Paper 1, question 20(b)(i): Show that the density of air under the conditions described is about 1.2 kg m–3. [1]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun23-20-bi-qp.webp?v=3)
Q20(b)(iv)
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Q23(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗![June 2023 Paper 1, question 23(b)(i): Show that the typical kinetic energy of a helium nucleus in the atmosphere is about 10–16 J. [2]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun23-23-bi-qp.webp?v=3)
Q23(b)(iv)
The whole paper ↗![June 2023 Paper 1, question 23(b)(iv): Explain why the star has a solar wind that reaches a much greater distance from the star than found in (iii). [1]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun23-23-biv-qp.webp?v=3)
Q19(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗![June 2022 Paper 1, question 19(b)(i): Show that the number of moles n, of nitrogen used per hour is about 600. [3]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun22-19-bi-qp.webp?v=3)
Q19(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗![June 2022 Paper 1, question 19(b)(ii): Calculate the mass of nitrogen gas used in one hour. molar mass of nitrogen = 0.028 kg mol–1 mass = kg [1]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun22-19-bii-qp.webp?v=3)
Q19(b)(iii)
The whole paper ↗![June 2022 Paper 1, question 19(b)(iii): The volume of nitrogen being used cannot be changed. State how the rate of mass of nitrogen used can be reduced. [1]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/h55601-jun22-19-biii-qp.webp?v=3)
All 45 questions on Ideal gases, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q19(d) (3 marks): After one hour the number of moles of gas above the remaining liquid oxygen is 710. Calculate the pressure of the gas. pressure = kPa [3]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q20(a) (1 mark): Complete the missing value in the table. [1] 1200 1000 800 Specific heat capacity 600 / Jkg–1 K–1 400 200 0 0 10 20 30 Number of particles per unit mass / 1024
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q20(a)(i) (1 mark): Define the internal energy of an ideal gas. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q20(a)(ii) (2 marks): Use the formulae below to show that the average kinetic energy of a particle of an ideal gas is directly proportional to the absolute temperature of the gas. pV
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q20(b)(i) (2 marks): [2]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q20(b)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the molar mass of the gas assuming an absolute temperature of 290 K and r.m.s. speed of 430 m s–1. molar mass = kg mol–1 [3]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q20(c)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the pressure of the gas within the filament lamp during manufacture. pressure = kPa [2]
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q1(b)(i) (2 marks): The kinetic model of an ideal gas assumes that there are a large number of particles in rapid, random motion. State two further assumptions for the kinetic mode
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q1(b)(ii) (4 marks): A standard flute is placed inside a sealed chamber. The chamber is filled with helium at a temperature of –10 °C. Calculate the lowest frequency that the flute
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q10 (1 mark): An experiment is carried out to estimate the value of absolute zero using the variation of gas pressure with temperature. The apparatus is shown below. thin gla
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q20(a) (3 marks): A sealed container contains n moles of an ideal gas. The gas has pressure p, absolute temperature T and occupies volume V. The mass of one mole of the gas is M.
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q20(b)(i) (1 mark): Show that the density of air under the conditions described is about 1.2 kg m–3. [1]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q20(b)(iv) (2 marks): The pressure of the helium in the gasbag is maintained at a value only slightly greater than atmospheric pressure. Suggest why a larger pressure is not used. [2
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q23(b)(i) (2 marks): Show that the typical kinetic energy of a helium nucleus in the atmosphere is about 10–16 J. [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q23(b)(iv) (1 mark): Explain why the star has a solar wind that reaches a much greater distance from the star than found in (iii). [1]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q8 (1 mark): Which statement(s) below are implied by the assumptions of the kinetic theory model of gases? 1 A gas is mostly empty space. 2 Gas particles spend more time bet
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): A container has 1.0 mole of gas at pressure 100 kPa. The root mean square (r.m.s.) speed of the gas particles is 500 m s–1. The mass of each gas particle is 4.7
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q19(b)(i) (3 marks): Show that the number of moles n, of nitrogen used per hour is about 600. [3]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q19(b)(ii) (1 mark): Calculate the mass of nitrogen gas used in one hour. molar mass of nitrogen = 0.028 kg mol–1 mass = kg [1]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q19(b)(iii) (1 mark): The volume of nitrogen being used cannot be changed. State how the rate of mass of nitrogen used can be reduced. [1]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q21(b)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the total kinetic energy Ek of the gas and dust particles in the nebula. Ek = J [3]
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): A piston has a fixed amount of trapped ideal gas. The gas exerts pressure p and has volume V. The thermodynamic (absolute) temperature of the gas is T. The mass
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q4(a) (6 marks): The oven is not sealed, so the air inside remains at atmospheric pressure of 1.0 × 105 Pa. The volume of the oven is 0.065 m3. The air inside the oven behaves a
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q15 (1 mark): The kinetic theory of matter is a model used to describe the behaviour of particles (atoms or molecules) in an ideal gas. There are a number of assumptions made
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q21(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the amount of argon n in the chamber in moles. n = mol [2]
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q21(a)(ii) (2 marks): The temperature of the kiln is increased from 20 °C to 1300 °C. Calculate the pressure in kPa at 1300 °C. pressure = kPa [2]
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q21(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the change in momentum Δp of this atom. mass of argon atom = 6.6 × 10–26 kg • Δp = kg m s–1 [2]
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q21(b)(ii) (3 marks): Assume that this atom does not collide with any other argon atoms inside the chamber. Instead, it travels horizontally, making repeated collisions with the oppo
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q21(b)(iii) (2 marks): Without calculation, explain how your answer to (ii)2 could be used to estimate the total pressure exerted by the atoms of the argon gas in the kiln. [2]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(b) (6 marks): A student attends a lecture about the Sun and makes the following notes. The Sun loses more than 4 × 109 kg of its mass every second to maintain its luminosity.
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q4(c) (3 marks): Use the information in (b)(ii) and the data below to show that the root mean square (r.m.s.) speed of the air molecules inside the ISS is approximately 15 times
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q21(d)(i) (3 marks): The mass of a gas molecule is 4.8 × 10–26 kg. Calculate the root mean square speed of the gas molecules at a temperature of 250 °C. root mean square speed = m s
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q21(d)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the internal energy of 1.3 moles of the gas at 250 °C. internal energy = J [3]
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q1(a) (2 marks): Calculate, in moles, the amount of trapped air in the bottle at the start of lift-off. amount of air = mol [2]
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q1(b) (3 marks): The trapped air pushes the water downwards out of the hole, causing the rocket to rise. The temperature of this air remains constant. Calculate the final pressu
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q14 (1 mark): The volume of one mole of an ideal gas is V. The gas exerts pressure p and has thermodynamic temperature T. Which of the following has the units J mol−1 K−1? A
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q22(b) (6 marks): (b)* There is a lot of helium in the Universe. This was also true of the Earth when it was formed billions of years ago. However, only small traces of helium ar
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q14 (1 mark): A container has an ideal gas. The mean square speed of the gas molecules in the container is 3.0 × 105 m2 s−2. Over a period of time, a third of the gas molecul
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q17(a) (2 marks): Describe and explain how the students may have made accurate measurements of the temperature θ. [2]
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q17(b)(i) (1 mark): Suggest why it was sensible to use the psi scale to measure p. [1]
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q17(c)(i) (1 mark): Plot the missing data point and the error bars on Fig. 17.3. [1]
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q17(c)(ii) (6 marks): A group of students are conducting an experiment in the laboratory to determine the value of absolute zero by heating a fixed mass of gas. The volume of the gas
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q17(e) (4 marks): The experiment is repeated as the water bath quickly cools from 70 °C to 5 °C. Absolute zero was found to be −390 °C. Compare this value with your value from (c
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q23(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain why Mercury has no atmosphere whilst Pluto still has a thin atmosphere. Use data from the table to support your explanation. [3]
- June 2017, Paper 3, Q5(a)(ii) (4 marks): Calculate 1 the maximum speed vmax of the oscillating particles in the sound wave vmax = m s–1 [2] 2 the root mean square speed cr.m.s. of the air molecules in
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