UNIT 5
SOLIDS, LIQUIDS AND GASES
• Matter can exist in three basic forms: as a solid,
a liquid or a gas.
• Solids, liquids and gases have different
properties and characteristics.
• One such characteristic is density.
Measuring the volume
of a regular solid
V=wxlxh
V = π x r2 x h
Measuring the volume of a larger irregular
solid
Measure the volume of water
displaced. The string is
assumed to have no volume.
Volume units
1 cubic metre (1 m3)
= 1m x 1m x 1m
= 100cm x 100cm x 100cm
= 1000 000cm3
1 m3 = 1000 000 cm3
NOTE: 1 cubic centimetre (cm3 OR ‘cc’) is also
the same as 1 millilitre (ml)
Density (ρ)
density = mass
volume
ρ=m/V
mass, m is measured in kilograms (kg)
volume, V is measured in cubic metres (m3)
density, ρ is measured
in kilograms per cubic metres (kg/m3)
also:
mass = density x volume
m
and:
volume = density
volume
ρ V
Conversion between kg/m3 and g/cm3
A 1g mass of water has a volume of 1cm3
but 1g = 0.001kg
and 1cm3 = 0.000 001 m3
Therefore: 1m3 of water will have a mass of
1000 000 x 1g = 1000kg
1000 kg/m3 is the same as 1 g/cm3
Density examples
density density
(kg/m3) (kg/m3)
Interstellar space 10-25 to 10-15 iron 7 900
hydrogen 0.0989 lead 11 300
helium 0.179 mercury 13 500
air 1.29 uranium 19 100
wood (average) 700 gold 19 300
lithium 0.534 osmium 22 610
water 1000 Sun’s core 150 000
plastics 850 to 1400 neutron star 1017
aluminium 2 700 black hole > 4 x 1017
Question 1
Calculate the density of a metal block of
volume 0.20 m3 and mass 600 kg.
density = mass
volume
= 600 kg / 0.20 m3
density of the metal = 3000 kg / m3
Question 2
Calculate the mass of a block of wood of volume
0.050 m3 and density 600 kg/m3.
ρ=m/V
becomes:
m=ρxV
= 600 kg/m3 x 0.050 m3
mass of wood = 30 kg
Question 3
Calculate the volume of a liquid of mass 45 kg and
density 900 kg/m3.
ρ=m/V
becomes:
V=m/ρ
= 45 kg ÷ 900 kg/m3
volume of liquid = 0.05 m3
Question 4
When a small stone is immersed into the water
inside a measuring cylinder the level increases
from 20.0 to 27.5 ml. Calculate the density of the
stone in g/cm3 if its mass is 60g.
Volume of stone = (27.5 – 20.0) ml
= 7.5 cm3
ρ=m/V
= 60g / 7.5cm3
density of the stone = 8.0 g/cm3
Question 5
Calculate the density in g/cm3 and kg/m3 of a metal
cylinder of radius 2cm, height 3cm and mass 400g.
Volume of a cylinder = π x r2 x h
= π x (2cm)2 x 3cm
= 3.142 x 4 x 3
= 37.7 cm3
ρ=m/V
= 400 g / 37.7 cm3
metal density = 10.6 g/cm3
= 10 600 kg/m3
Question 6
Calculate the mass of a teaspoon full (1 cm3) of a neutron
star. Density of a neutron star = 1.0 x 1017 kg/m3.
1.0 cm3 = 0.000 0001 m3
ρ=m/V
becomes:
m=ρxV
= 1.0 x 1017 kg/m3 x 0.000 0001 m3
mass = 1.0 x 1011 kg
Note: 1 tonne = 1000 kg = 1.0 x 103 kg
Therefore mass = one hundred million tonnes!
Question 7
Calculate the weight of a gold ingot of dimensions (20 x 10
x 4) cm. The density of gold is 19 300 kg/m3.
volume of gold = 800 cm3
= 0.0008 m3
mass = volume x density
= 0.0008 x 19 300 = 15.4 kg
weight = mass x gravitational field strength
= 15.4 x 10
weight of gold ingot = 154 N
Complete:
Answers
density mass volume
6 g/cm3 240 g 40 cm3
3000 kg/m3 4500 kg 1.5 m3
0.80 g/cm3 64 g 80 cm3
3 g/cm3 9 kg 0.003 m3
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Density is equal to ______ volume
mass divided by _________ and can be
measured in kilograms per ______
cubic metres.
1000
A density of _______kg/m 3 is the same as a density of 1 g/cm3.
This is the density of ________.
water
The ________
density of a stone can be measured by immersing the
stone into water. The volume of water ________
displaced by the stone is
equal to the volume of the stone. The volume of the water
displaced is found using a _________
measuring cylinder.
WORD SELECTION:
cubic density mass water measuring
1000 displaced volume
Pressure, p
is the force per unit area
pressure = force
area
p=F
A
units:
force, F – newtons (N)
area, A – metres squared (m2)
pressure, p – pascals (Pa)
also:
force = pressure x area
F
and:
area = force
pressure
p A
Note:
1 Pa is the same as 1 newton per square metre (N/m2)
Question 1
Calculate the pressure exerted by a force of
200N when applied over an area of 4m2.
p=F/A
= 200N / 4m2
pressure = 50 Pa
Question 2
Calculate the force exerted by a gas of pressure
150 000 Pa on an object of surface area 3m2.
p=F/A
becomes:
F=pxA
= 150 000 Pa x 3 m2
force = 450 000 N
Question 3
Calculate the area that will experience a force of
6000N from a liquid exerting a pressure of 300kPa.
p=F/A
becomes:
A=F/p
= 6000 N ÷ 300 kPa
= 6000 N ÷ 300 000 Pa
area = 0.02 m2
Complete:
force area pressure
40 N 8 m2 5 Pa
500 N 20 m2 25 Pa
400 N 5 m2 80 Pa
20 N 2 cm2 100 kPa
6N 2 mm2 3 MPa
Pressure exerted by a block question
The metal block, shown opposite, has a
weight of 900 000N. Calculate the maximum
and minimum pressures it can exert when
placed on one of its surfaces.
2m
Maximum pressure occurs when the block is
placed on its smallest area surface (2m x 3m)
p=F/A
5m
= 900 000N / 6m2 3m
Maximum pressure = 150 000 Pa
Minimum pressure occurs when the block is
placed on its largest area surface (3m x 5m)
p=F/A
= 900 000N / 15m2
Minimum pressure = 60 000 Pa
Pressure examples
Try and find out these approximate pressure in Pa
values for these: or N/m2
Space (vacuum) 0
Air pressure at the top of Mount 30 000
Everest
Average pressure of the Earth’s 101 325
atmosphere at sea level at 0°C
Typical tyre pressure 180 000
Pressure 10m below the surface of 200 000
the sea
Estimated pressure at the depth 41 000 000
(3.8km) of the wreck of the Titanic
Pressure exerted by a person on a floor
1. Weigh the person in newtons. This
gives the downward force, F exerted
on the floor.
2. Draw, on graph paper, the outline of
the person’s feet or shoes.
3. Use the graph paper outlines to
calculate the area of contact, A with
the floor in metres squared.
(Note: 1m2 = 10 000 cm2)
4. Calculate the pressure in pascals
using: p = F / A
Typical results
1. Weight of person: _____
500 N
2. Outline area of both
feet in cm2 ____
60
3. Outline area of both
feet in m2 _____
0.06
4. Pressure = ________
500 N
0.06 m2
= _______
8300 Pa
Why off-road vehicles have
large tyres or tracks
In both cases the area of contact with the ground is maximised.
This causes the pressure to be minimised as:
pressure = vehicle weight ÷ area
Lower pressure means that the vehicle does not sink into the
ground.
How a gas exerts pressure
• A gas consists of molecules in
constant random motion.
• When a molecule collides with a
surface it reverses direction due to
the force exerted on it by the
surface.
• The molecule in turn exerts a force
back on the surface.
• The pressure exerted by the gas is
equal to the total force exerted by
the molecules on a particular area
of the surface divided by the area.
• pressure = force / area
Other pressure units
Note: You do not need to learn any of these for the IGCSE exam
Atmospheres (atm)
Often used to measure the pressure of a gas.
An atmosphere is the average pressure of the Earth’s
atmosphere at sea-level at a temperature of 0°C.
Standard atmospheric pressure = 101 325 Pa (about 101 kPa)
Bars and millibars (bar; mbar)
Also used to measure gas pressure.
One bar is about the same as one
atmosphere.
Millibars are often found on
weather charts.
1000 millibars = 1 bar = 100 kPa
Pounds per square inch (psi) Inches of mercury (inHg)
Often used to measure car tyre Often found on domestic barometers.
pressures. 1 inHg = 3386 Pa
1 psi = 6895 Pa 1 atm = 101 kPa = 29.9 inHg
1 atm = 101 kPa = 14.7 psi Examples:
Fair weather – high pressure: 30.5 inHg
Rain – low pressure: 29.0 inHg
tyre pressure gauge
Pressure in liquids and gases
The pressure in a
liquid or a gas at a
particular point
acts equally in all
directions.
At the same depth in the
liquid the pressure is the
same in all directions
The pressure in a
liquid or a gas
increases with
depth
The pressure of the liquid
increases with depth
Pressure, height or depth equation
pressure difference = height × density × g
p=h×ρ×g
units:
height or depth, h – metres (m)
density, ρ – kilograms per metres cubed (kg/m3)
gravitational field strength, g
– newtons per kilogram (N/kg)
pressure difference, p – pascals (Pa)
Question 1
Calculate the pressure increase at the
bottom of a swimming pool of depth 2m.
Density of water = 1000 kg/m3
g = 10 N/kg
pressure difference = h × ρ × g
= 2m x 1000 kg/m3 x 10 N/kg
pressure increase = 20 000 Pa
Question 2
At sea level the (a) p = h × ρ × g
atmosphere has a
density of 1.3 kg/m3. becomes:
(a) Calculate the h = p / (ρ × g)
thickness (height) of = 100 kPa / (1.3 kg/m3 x 10 N/kg)
atmosphere required = 100 000 / (1.3 x 10)
to produce the = 100 000 / 13
average sea level
pressure of 100kPa. height = 7 692 m (7.7 km)
(b) Why is the actual
height much greater? (b) The real atmosphere’s density
decreases with height.
g = 10 N/kg The atmosphere extends to at
least a height of 100 km.
Hydraulic System
Is a machine that uses liquid to transmit a force
Liquids are used in hydraulic systems because they are more
difficult to compress than gases, so are better at transmitting
forces.
The simplest type of hydraulic machine is made of
two pistons connected by a liquid-filled pipe.
If one piston is pushed, the force is transmitted through the liquid
and the other piston moves.
Hydraulic brakes on cars work like this.
A Hydraulic Car Jack:
• When the handle is pushed down, oil is
forced out of a narrow cylinder into a wider
cylinder.
• The pressure of the oil forces the piston in
the wider cylinder outwards.
Example:
In a hydraulic lift a force of 30N is exerted on the
smaller piston of area 2m2. The smaller piston is
pushed down a distance of 0.5m. If the area of the
larger piston is 10m2 then calculate:
A) The force exerted on the larger piston.
B) The distance the larger piston moves.
Solution:
Draw a diagram and label what you know:
d2 = Unknown
d1 = 0.5m
F1 = 30N F2 = Unknown !!!
A2 = 10m2
A1 = 2m2
A) The force exerted on the larger
piston:
Pressure = F/A
We know that P1 = P2
Therefore; F1/A1 = F2/A2
30N/2m2 = F2/10m2
F2 = (30/2) x 10
F2 = 150N
B) The distance the larger piston
moves:
F1 x d1 = F2 x d2
30N x 0.5m = 150N x d2
15 = 150 x d2
d2 = 15/150
d2 = 0.1m
If I change the areas involved, what
will happen??
