The Particle Model

Question 1

What does the particle model suggest?

Answer 1

Everything is made up of particles.

Question 2

Why do particles continually move?

Answer 2

Due to the thermal energy they have (which is kinetic energy on a microscopic level).

Question 3

What is the spacing of particles in a gas?

Answer 3

Far apart and random.

Question 4

What is the spacing of particles in a liquid?

Answer 4

Close and random.

Question 5

What is the spacing of particles in a solid?

Answer 5

Close and ordered.

Question 6

What is the movement of particles in a gas?

Answer 6

Particles are free to move around.

Question 7

What is the movement of particles in a liquid?

Answer 7

Particles vibrate and swap places.

Question 8

What is the movement of particles in a solid?

Answer 8

Particles vibrate around fixed positions.

Question 9

What is the bonding of particles in a gas?

Answer 9

Bonds are weak.

Question 10

What is the bonding of particles in a liquid?

Answer 10

Bonds are quite strong.

Question 11

What is the bonding of particles in a solid?

Answer 11

Bonds are very strong.

Question 12

What is the shaping of particles in a gas?

Answer 12

Expands to take the shape of the container.

Question 13

What is the shaping of particles in a liquid?

Answer 13

Takes the shape of the container but keeps volume.

Question 14

What is the shaping of particles in a solid?

Answer 14

Keeps its shape.

Question 15

What is the compressibility of particles in a gas?

Answer 15

Can be compressed.

Question 16

What is the compressibility of particles in a liquid?

Answer 16

Cannot be compressed.

Question 17

What is the compressibility of particles in a solid?

Answer 17

Cannot be compressed.

Question 18

What is density?

Answer 18

The mass of a given volume of a substance.

Question 19

What are the three states of matter?

Answer 19

Solid, liquid and gas.

Question 20

Why do solids usually have the highest density out of the three states?

Answer 20

The particles are packed very tightly in an ordered arrangement.

Question 21

Why are liquids slightly less dense than solids?

Answer 21

They can move around each other; but, they are still quite close together.

Question 22

Why do gases have very low densities?

Answer 22

There is lots of space between the particles and they are randomly positioned.

Question 23

How can you measure the density of a substance?

Answer 23

By measuring the mass and volume.

Question 24

How do you measure mass?

Answer 24

By using an electronic balance.

Question 25

How do you measure volume?

Answer 25

By reading the amount on a beaker.

Question 26

What mistake should you avoid when measuring mass?

Answer 26

Always measure the beaker before measuring it with the liquid inside; subtract the mass of the beaker from the final result.

Question 27

What happens when materials are heated?

Answer 27

The particles gain kinetic energy and start moving faster; as a result, the material gets hotter.

Question 28

What is temperature a measure of?

Answer 28

The average kinetic energy of particles.

Question 29

What does the amount of energy needed to change the temperature of a material depend on?

Answer 29

The mass of the material, the substance and the desired temperature change.

Question 30

What is the specific heat capacity of a substance?

Answer 30

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Question 31

What happens during melting and boiling?

Answer 31

Thermal energy is added to a substance which breaks the bonds between particles.

Question 32

What happens if you remove thermal energy from a substance?

Answer 32

It slows the particles down; bonds start to form between them.

Question 33

What is specific latent heat?

Answer 33

The amount of energy required to change the state of 1kg of a substance with no change in temperature.