Particle Theory Says Colliding Gas Particles Create Pressure Flashcards
What happens as gas particles move about?
They randomly bang into each other and whatever else gets in the way
What do gases do when they collide with something?
They exert a force on it and their momentum and direction change
What do gas particles do in a sealed container?
Smash against the containers walls - creating an outward pressure
What happens to the particles if you heat a gas?
The particles move faster and have more energy in their kinetic energy stores
What does this increase in energy mean?
The particles hit the container walls harder and more frequently, resulting in a large force, creating more pressure
Temperature and pressure are…
Proportional - double the temp of a fixed amount of gas, and you double the pressure
What happens if you put the same fixed amount of gas in a bigger container?
The pressure will decrease, because there’ll be fewer collisions between the gas particles and the container’s wall
What happens when the volume is reduced?
The particles get more squashed up and so hit the walls more frequently, producing a larger force over a similar surface area, increasing the pressure
