Particles and states of matter Edexcel International GCSE Science (Single Award) revision
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In plain words
Everything is made of tiny particles that never stop moving. In a solid they jiggle on the spot; in a liquid they slide around each other; in a gas they fly about freely. Heat something and its particles move faster.
Three things to know
- In a solid, particles vibrate about fixed positions in a regular pattern. In a liquid they are close together but move past each other. In a gas they are far apart and move quickly at random.
- Gas pressure is caused by particles hitting the walls of the container.
- Brownian motion (smoke specks jiggling in air) is evidence that fast, invisible particles are hitting them.
Tips and tricks
- Describe particles with two words every time: their arrangement and their motion.
- Gas pressure answers need "particles collide with the walls". Hotter means faster, so the collisions are more frequent and harder.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Particles and states of matter: 6 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
In which state are particles furthest apart?
Gas particles are widely spaced.
What causes the pressure of a gas?
Each collision with a wall pushes on it.
Which describes particles in a solid?
They stay in place but vibrate.
What does Brownian motion show?
The visible specks are being knocked about by invisible molecules.
A gas is heated in a sealed, rigid container. What happens to its particles?
Heating gives the particles more kinetic energy.
Why can liquids flow but solids cannot?
In a solid the particles are held in fixed positions.
Quiz
6 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
4 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Particles and states of matter
Edexcel International GCSE Science (Single Award) 4SS0 · 10 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Describe the arrangement and motion of particles in a liquid.[3]
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Close together, not in a regular pattern, and moving around each other at random.
Explain how a gas exerts a pressure on its container.[2]
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Its particles collide with the walls, and each collision exerts a small force.
Explain why a gas is easy to compress but a solid is not.[2]
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Gas particles are far apart with space between them; in a solid they are already touching.
Smoke particles in air are seen through a microscope to move in a jerky, random way. Explain this.[3]
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Fast-moving air molecules, too small to see, hit the smoke particles unevenly from all sides.
Answers: Particles and states of matter
- 1. Close together, not in a regular pattern, and moving around each other at random.
- 2. Its particles collide with the walls, and each collision exerts a small force.
- 3. Gas particles are far apart with space between them; in a solid they are already touching.
- 4. Fast-moving air molecules, too small to see, hit the smoke particles unevenly from all sides.