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AQA GCSE Physics — Particle Model and Atomic Structure flashcards

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Topics 3 and 4 of AQA GCSE Physics: density, states of matter, internal energy, specific heat and latent heat, gas pressure; atomic models, isotopes, alpha, beta and gamma, nuclear equations, half-life, contamination, uses of radiation, fission and fusion.

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Learn deck · part of AQA GCSE Physics · written against: AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification, version 1.1; Higher Tier and separate-science-only cards marked on the front. Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. A block has a mass of 0.40 kg and a volume of 0.00050 m³. What is its density?
    800 kg/m³

    Why: ρ=mV=0.400.00050=800\rho = \frac{m}{V} = \frac{0.40}{0.00050} = 800 kg/m³.
    Particle Model of Matter › Changes of State and the Particle Model
  2. A stone of density 2500 kg/m³ has a volume of 0.0020 m³. What is its mass?
    5.0 kg

    Why: m=ρV=2500×0.0020=5.0m = \rho V = 2500 \times 0.0020 = 5.0 kg.
    Particle Model of Matter › Changes of State and the Particle Model
  3. A density is given as 2.7 g/cm³. What is it in kg/m³?
    2700 kg/m³

    Why: 1 g/cm³ = 1000 kg/m³, because 1 m³ holds a million cm³ and 1 kg is 1000 g.
    Particle Model of Matter › Changes of State and the Particle Model
  4. Using the particle model, why is a substance much less dense as a gas than as a solid?
    In a gas the particles are much further apart, so the same mass takes up a much larger volume.

    Why: density is mass per unit volume; the number and mass of the particles do not change.
    Particle Model of Matter › Changes of State and the Particle Model
  5. How are the particles arranged in a solid, and how do they move?
    They are closely packed in a regular pattern and vibrate about fixed positions.
    Particle Model of Matter › Changes of State and the Particle Model
  6. Roughly what is the radius of an atom?
    About 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ m.
    Atomic Structure › Atoms and Isotopes
  7. How does the size of the nucleus compare with the size of the atom, and where is the mass?
    The nuclear radius is less than 1/10 000 of the atomic radius, yet the nucleus holds almost all of the mass.
    Atomic Structure › Atoms and Isotopes
  8. What can happen to an electron in an atom that absorbs electromagnetic radiation?
    It can move to a higher energy level, further from the nucleus.

    Why: when it falls back to a lower level, closer to the nucleus, the atom emits electromagnetic radiation.
    Atomic Structure › Atoms and Isotopes
  9. Why does an atom have no overall electrical charge?
    It has equal numbers of protons and electrons, and their charges are equal and opposite.
    Atomic Structure › Atoms and Isotopes
  10. What does the atomic number of an atom tell you?
    The number of protons in its nucleus, which fixes which element it is.
    Atomic Structure › Atoms and Isotopes

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Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline and equation list follow the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification, version 1.1 (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
  • OpenStax College Physics 2e and OpenStax Chemistry 2e, consulted as references; no text copied.

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