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The document covers key concepts in the particle model of matter, including density, changes of state, specific heat capacity, and pressure of gases. It explains how mass is conserved during state changes, the relationship between temperature and pressure, and the effects of work done on gases. Additionally, it discusses thermal insulation and absolute zero, providing essential formulas and principles relevant to GCSE Physics.

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4 views

Summary Notes

The document covers key concepts in the particle model of matter, including density, changes of state, specific heat capacity, and pressure of gases. It explains how mass is conserved during state changes, the relationship between temperature and pressure, and the effects of work done on gases. Additionally, it discusses thermal insulation and absolute zero, providing essential formulas and principles relevant to GCSE Physics.

Uploaded by

tutoronicsteam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Edexcel GCSE Physics

Topic 14: Particle model


Notes
(Content in bold is for Higher Tier only)

This work by PMT Education is licensed under https://bit.ly/pmt-cc


https://bit.ly/pmt-edu-cc CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

https://bit.ly/pmt-cc
https://bit.ly/pmt-edu https://bit.ly/pmt-cc
Density

Mass per unit volume


mass
density =
volume
m
ρ= units are (usually) kgm−3
V

Density depends on the spacing of the atoms in matter

- Solids and liquids have similar densities. This is because the space
between particles does not change significantly
o Usually liquids have a lower density than solids (main exception is
ice and water)

- Gases have a far lower density


o The spacing between atoms increase x10, as the particles have
lots of energy to move, so volume increases greatly and therefore
the density decreases greatly compared to solids/liquids

Remember if questions involve change in state and ask for new volume/pressure,
the mass is the same!

Changes of State

Mass is conserved during a change of state.


- If 20g of liquid evaporates, the gas produced will also weigh 20g

Sublimation

Melting Evaporating

Solid Liquid Gas

Freezing Condensing

These physical changes are reversible, and not chemical changes


- They are not chemical because the material retains its original properties when reversed

Heating a System
- The amount of energy the particles have increases
- Particles vibrate more
- The temperature of the system increases
o OR the system changes state
- The “system” could be an ice cube, a gas, etc.

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Specific Heat Capacity
- The energy required to raise the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1°C
o (the difference of 1°C is the same as 1 Kelvin)

energy = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change


E = mc∆T
units are Jkg −1 °C−1

Specific Latent Heat


- The energy to change the state of 1kg of a substance without a change in temperature
o The substance needs to be at the right temperature to change state first
- Specific Latent Heat of fusion is energy to melt/freeze
- Specific Latent Heat of vaporisation is energy to boil/condense

Energy is absorbed when melting and evaporating


Energy is released when freezing and condensing

energy = mass × specific latent heat


E = ml
units are Jkg −1

Insulation
- Thermal energy transfers out of any system
o This means some energy is wasted, as it is lost to the surroundings
- Using thermal insulators, e.g. foam, reduces the amount of energy lost (as it is a poor
thermal conductor)
- Use reflective coatings to reflect IR radiation (heat) back into the system
- Think about the given situation to see how the system can be insulated

Pressure of a Gas
Particles in a gas move randomly in every direction
A Fluid can be a liquid or a gas

force
pressure =
area

- Remember, pressure produces a net force at right angles to any surface


- Particles collide with a wall, changing velocity
- This means they change momentum during their collision
∆momentum
- So they exert a force on the wall (as force = time
)
- Press is the force across the area of the wall.

Temperature and Pressure (in a constant volume)


- Increased temperature means more energy given to the particles
- The thermal energy is transferred to kinetic
o Particles move at faster speed
o Collisions with walls occur more often
o The particles also hit the wall with greater impact
o So pressure increases

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Absolute Zero
- This temperature is 0 Kelvin, or -273°C
- Nothing can exist at a colder temperature than this, this is the coldest possible temperature
- Particles at this temperature have no energy, so they do not vibrate at all, they remain
perfectly still.

Converting Kelvin to Centigrade:

T kelvin = (T − 273) centigrade


so 4K = −269°C
and 0°C = 273K

Pressure changes (Physics Only)


Gases want to remain at a constant temperature
- Increasing the pressure of the gas causes it to compress (have a smaller volume)
o Pressure increases, so greater force per area
o Same force is exerted on walls, as temperature and energy of particles is constant
o Force needs to be exerted on a smaller area and volume decreases
▪ Other way round?
o Volume increases, so a greater area that particles collide with
o Same force is exerted on the walls as velocity is constant (as velocity is only affected
by temperature) and pressure decreases
1
- So this means pressure ∝ volume (inversely proportional)

For a gas at fixed mass and temperature:


P1 V1 = P2 V2
Where P is pressure and V is volume in states 1 and 2.

Doing Work on a Gas (Physics Only)


- Doing work on a gas increases its temperature
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞
𝐖𝐃 = 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 × 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 = × (𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 × 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞) = 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 × 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞
𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 = 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 × 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞

Adding More Particles to A Fixed Volume (Physics Only)


o Doing work on a gas means compressing or expanding the gas, so changing the
volume
o Pumping more gas into the same volume means more particles are present, so
more collisions occur per unit time with the walls, so pressure increases.
o Energy is transferred to the particles when more gas is added into the fixed
volume, so this heats the gas
A Fixed Number of Particles with A Decreasing Volume (Physics only)
o The particles collide with the wall which is moving inward
o So the particles gain momentum, as the rebound velocity is greater than the
approaching velocity
o So as the particle has a greater velocity, the pressure increases as the particles
collide with the walls more frequently (time between collisions decreases)
o And the temperature also increases, as the kinetic energy of each particle
increases

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