Properties of Gases
Physics: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 3.3.2
Properties of Gases
All gases tend to have similar properties and behave in similar ways. For a fixed mass of gas at a constant temperature, pressure x volume is constant.
Temperature of gases
- The higher the temperature of a gas, the higher the kinetic energy stored in the gas' particles.
- As you heat a gas, you transfer more kinetic energy to the gas' particles.
- This increases the speed of the particles.
Pressure of gases
- A gas exerts pressure on the walls of its container.
- There are lots of gas particles colliding with the container each second.
- When a gas particle collides with the wall of its container, its momentum changes and it bounces back off the wall.
- This exerts a force on both the particle and the wall.
- The pressure exerted on the wall is equal to the force (of the ball) per unit area (of the wall being hit).
Test yourself on Properties of Gases
A student says that a gas exerts pressure on a container because of the particles colliding with one another in the container, and the particles colliding with the walls of the container.
Is the student correct?
What is the expression for the change in momentum?