An inflatable rescue raft contains air. Three flat test panels form parts of the wall of one air chamber. Each force shown is the force exerted by the air inside on the inner face of that panel.
A technician claims that the air pressure on the lower surface should be greater than the air pressure on the upper surface because the particles fall towards the lower surface.
| Panel | Position of panel | Area in m2\text{m}^{2}m2 | Force exerted by the air in N\text{N}N |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | upper horizontal surface | 0.0040 | 480 |
| B | lower horizontal surface | 0.0060 | 720 |
| C | vertical side surface | 0.010 | not measured |
Explain how the measurements for panels A and B and the particle model show that the technician's claim is incorrect. Use calculations in your answer.
Calculate the force exerted by the air on panel C.
108 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 14.3 Gas pressure and temperature, covering 14.3.1 Gas pressure and particle motion, 14.3.2 Temperature and pressure at constant volume, 14.3.3 Absolute zero and the kelvin scale, 14.3.4 Compressing and expanding gases, 14.3.5 Volume and pressure at constant temperature, and 14.3.6 Doing work on a gas. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.