Mid-Summative Exam 3
Study Guide
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Define particle.
o A particle is the smallest piece of any substance.
Describe the motion of air particles inside a ball.
o The air particles inside a ball are constantly moving and bumping into each other
and the inner surface of the ball.
Know what would happen if a blue-closed-cell foam cube is placed in a clamped syringe
when the plunger is pushed down and the cube gets smaller in both situations:
o Inside the cube – air particles pushed on the outside of the cube. The air particles
inside the cube were pushed closer together or compressed. The result was that
the cube got smaller.
o Outside the cube – The plunger pushed the air particles into a smaller space or
compressed the air.
Be able to explain what is between the helium particles in a helium-filled balloon.
o Nothing is between the helium particles in a balloon.
Be able to explain that helium can be compressed by pushing the particles closer together
because helium is a gas and its particles are far apart.
Describe why the plunger in a syringe will return to its original position after being
pushed in as far as you can push it.
o The air particles inside the syringe pushed the plunger up until the pressure is
equal to the air particles that are pushing down on the outside of the plunger.
Be able to look at a syringe and determine how many air particles would be inside, their
arrangement, and why.
o There would be
12 air particles
inside of syringe
B because there is
the same amount
of air particles in
B as there is in A.
o There would be
12 air particles
inside of syringe
B because there is
the same amount
of air particles in
C as there is in A
& B.
o The air particles
in syringe B
would be closer together.
o The air particles in Syringe C would be farther apart.
o Know what is between the air particles in each of the syringes - nothing