Key term
AQA GCSE Combined Science Physics 8464
Atomic Structure
Topic overviewThe structure of an atomMass number, atomic number and isotopesFrom the plum pudding model to the nuclear modelChadwick, the neutron, and comparing the modelsRadioactive decay and nuclear radiationNuclear equationsHalf-lives and the random nature of radioactive decayRadioactive contamination
Electricity
Topic overviewCircuit symbols, electrical charge and currentCurrent, resistance and potential differenceOhmic conductors, filament lamps, diodes and thermistorsLight-dependent resistors, and investigating resistanceCurrent and potential difference in series and parallelConstructing circuits, and calculating in series circuitsDirect and alternating potential difference, and mains electricityPower and efficiencyAppliances, and the energy transferred by electrical workPower, and the power ratings of domestic appliancesThe National Grid
Energy
Forces
Topic overviewScalars, vectors, forces and the resultant forceGravityWork done and energy transferStretching, compressing, and the spring constantLinear and non-linear extension, and work done on a springResolving forces and free body diagramsDistance, displacement and speedThe speed of sound, and the distance-speed-time equationVelocity and the distance-time relationshipAcceleration, deceleration and velocity-time graphsArea under a velocity-time graph, and the uniform acceleration equationNewton's First LawNewton's Second and Third LawsStopping distance and reaction timeFactors affecting braking distanceBraking force, deceleration and the dangers of stopping quicklyMomentum and its conservation
Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Particle Model of Matter
Particle Model of Matter
- 5 subtopics
- 15 things to know
- Physics Paper 1
What Particle Model of Matter covers
Particle Model of Matter is examined in Physics Paper 1. It covers density of materials, changes of state and internal energy, temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacity, changes of state and specific latent heat and particle motion in gases.
Where it is assessed
Physics Paper 1
Combined Science: Trilogy, Physics Paper 1: 1 hour 15 minutes, 70 marks, 16.7% of the qualification.
Check the AQA specification ↗The 5 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Density of materialsDensity and the equation linking density, mass and volume with its rearrangements, units and calculations, the particle model of solids, liquids and gases and why a gas is less dense, and practical methods for finding the volume and density of regular and irregular solids and of liquids.Open →
- Changes of state and internal energyMelting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, condensation and sublimation, conservation of mass in a change of state, why changes of state are physical and reversible, internal energy as the total kinetic and potential energy of the particles and why it is not temperature, and the two possible outcomes when a system is heated.Open →
- Temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacityThe factors deciding how much a substance warms when heated, the equation linking change in thermal energy, mass, specific heat capacity and temperature change with its symbols and units, what specific heat capacity means and why water makes a good coolant, and calculations of energy, temperature rise, specific heat capacity and mass.Open →
- Changes of state and specific latent heatEnergy taken in during a change of state with no change in temperature, latent heat and specific latent heat, the equation E = mL with its units and calculations, specific latent heat of fusion and of vaporisation, reading a melting point from a heating graph, and how specific heat capacity and specific latent heat differ.Open →
- Particle motion in gasesThe random motion of gas molecules, how temperature relates to their average kinetic energy, and how collisions with the container walls produce pressure that rises and falls with temperature at constant volume.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Evaluation
Explain what decides how far a heated substance's temperature rises, and how the energy needed for a given rise is worked out.
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Distinguish specific heat capacity from specific latent heat, and say which applies when ice warms by a few degrees Celsius and which when it melts.
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State the equation that links density, mass and volume.
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What happens to the total mass of a substance when it changes state?
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Rearrange the density equation to make mass the subject.
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Which particles store the internal energy of a system?
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State the three factors that decide how much the temperature of a substance rises when it is heated.
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Explain why a thermometer in a beaker of melting ice reads a steady 0 °C while ice is still present.
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What is the temperature of a gas related to?
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Rearrange the density equation to make volume the subject.
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A gas is heated and its particles move faster. Which part of its internal energy has increased?
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Two beakers hold 1 kg and 2 kg of water and are given the same amount of energy. Which shows the larger temperature rise?
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State, in words, the equation for the energy needed for a change of state.
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What happens to the pressure of a gas in a sealed rigid container when its temperature is increased?
Take Particle Model of Matter further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Specific heat capacity vs Specific latent heat
Specific heat capacity: energy per kilogram to change the temperature by one degree Celsius. Specific latent heat: Energy per kilogram to change state with no temperature change.
Boiling vs Evaporation
Boiling: a liquid turning to gas throughout its volume at a fixed temperature. Evaporation: A liquid turning to gas only at its surface.
Internal energy vs Temperature
Internal energy: the total kinetic and potential energy stored by all the particles of a system. Temperature: A measure related to how fast the particles move on average.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
In words, what does the density of a material tell you?
Model answer
It tells you how much mass is contained in a given volume of the material.
- 2
State the equation that links density, mass and volume.
Model answer
Density = mass ÷ volume, written ρ = m/V.
- 3
Rearrange the density equation to make mass the subject.
Model answer
Mass = density × volume, written m = ρV.
- 4
Rearrange the density equation to make volume the subject.
Model answer
Volume = mass ÷ density, written V = m/ρ.
- 5
What symbol is used for density, and in what unit is it measured?
Model answer
Density is given the symbol ρ and is measured in kilograms per metre cubed, kg/m³.
- 6
In what unit must mass be given when using the density equation?
Model answer
Mass must be in kilograms, kg.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Particle Model of Matter revision questions
- What does Particle Model of Matter cover in AQA GCSE Combined Science Physics?
- 5 subtopics: density of materials, changes of state and internal energy, temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacity, changes of state and specific latent heat and particle motion in gases. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Particle Model of Matter organised?
- By the AQA 8464 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Particle Model of Matter, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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