This deep dive covers The Particle Explanation of Gas Pressure within Gas Pressure & Temperature for GCSE Physics. Revise Gas Pressure & Temperature in Particle Model for GCSE Physics with 19 exam-style questions and 30 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 3 of 12 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔬 The Particle Explanation of Gas Pressure
Gas pressure arises from the constant, random bombardment of container walls by gas particles:
- Gas particles are in constant random motion
- They collide with container walls
- Each collision exerts a tiny force on the wall (Newton's 3rd law)
- Billions of collisions per second = measurable pressure
What happens when temperature increases:
- Particles gain kinetic energy (move faster)
- More frequent collisions (particles cover more distance per second)
- Harder collisions (more momentum transferred to walls)
- Result: Pressure increases
Practice questions for Gas Pressure & Temperature
A sealed gas container is heated. What happens to the pressure of the gas inside?
A sealed gas cylinder is heated. Explain, using particle theory, why the pressure of the gas increases when the temperature increases.