Lesson T6.1.4

T6.1.4 Particle model and changes of state Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 6

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T6.1.4, Particle model and changes of state: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 6: Matter and particles, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What happens to the particles of a solid when it melts?

    • They gain energy and move apart, so the solid becomes a liquid
    • They are destroyed and then replaced by brand new particles
    • They lose energy and become fixed in place within the solid
    • They become much larger in size and much heavier than before

  2. What is the name for the change of state from a liquid to a gas at the boiling point?

    • Sublimation
    • Boiling
    • Condensation
    • Freezing

  3. What is sublimation?

    • A solid changing into a liquid
    • A solid changing directly into a gas
    • A liquid changing directly into a solid
    • A gas changing directly into a liquid

  4. Why does a liquid cool down while it evaporates from a surface?

    • The particles stop moving and settle down at the bottom
    • The liquid absorbs cold from the surrounding air as it dries out
    • The liquid turns into a solid skin that covers the top surface
    • The fastest particles escape, so the average energy of the rest falls

  5. When ice melts at 0 °C, what happens to the temperature of the ice-water mixture while it melts?

    • It rises steadily to 10 °C as the energy is added to it
    • It rises straight to 100 °C at once, as soon as heat arrives
    • It falls below 0 °C as the ice takes in the warmth
    • It stays at 0 °C until all the ice has melted

  6. What is the anomaly of water that is unusual compared with most substances?

    • Water becomes denser when it freezes
    • Water expands when it is cooled to room temperature
    • Ice is less dense than liquid water, so it floats
    • Water has no density at all

  7. What is the effect of water's expansion on freezing?

    • Ice is heavier and sinks below the water
    • Water shrinks and pulls pipes together
    • Pipes are protected from freezing
    • Pipes can burst when water freezes inside them

  8. Which change of state takes place at the surface of a liquid at any temperature?

    • Evaporation
    • Melting
    • Boiling
    • Freezing

  9. When a liquid boils, where does the vapour form?

    • Nowhere because the liquid stays the same
    • Throughout the liquid, in bubbles
    • Only on the surface of the liquid
    • Only at the bottom of the container

  10. Why does a solid stay the same temperature while it is melting?

    • The solid does not absorb any energy while it is melting at all
    • The energy supplied is used to break bonds between particles
    • The energy supplied turns the solid into a magnet as it melts
    • The energy supplied is lost to the surrounding air almost at once

  11. Which change of state releases energy to the surroundings?

    • Evaporation
    • Melting
    • Condensation
    • Boiling

  12. Which change of state is at the boiling point of water at normal pressure?

    • Gas to solid
    • Solid to liquid
    • Solid to gas only
    • Liquid to gas

  13. Which of these is a reversible physical change of state?

    • Burning and rusting
    • Cooking and digesting
    • Freezing and melting
    • Baking and frying

  14. When does a gas form a liquid on a cold surface?

    • When the gas particles lose energy and slow down enough to stick together
    • When the gas particles are charged and attracted to the cold surface
    • When the gas particles gain energy and speed up very quickly indeed
    • When the gas particles are heated above 100 °C in the closed flask

  15. Which change of state requires the most energy to change a substance from solid to gas?

    • Heating a solid until it becomes a gas
    • Condensing a gas into a liquid
    • Cooling a liquid until it freezes
    • Dissolving a solid in water

  16. What is the effect of particles having more energy when a liquid is heated?

    • They move slower and come closer together
    • They move faster and spread further apart
    • They form a regular fixed pattern
    • They stop moving completely

  17. Why does water in a puddle disappear on a warm day?

    • The water is destroyed by sunlight and turned into new substances
    • The water is absorbed by the ground in one piece and kept there
    • The water freezes in the warm air and then sublimes away quickly
    • Evaporation takes water particles from the surface into the air

  18. Why does a cold drink in a glass collect water droplets on the outside?

    • Water vapour in the air condenses on the cold glass
    • Water flows through the glass walls
    • The glass melts and leaks water
    • The glass produces water from its own material

  19. Which change of state turns a gas directly into a solid?

    • Melting
    • Boiling
    • Evaporation
    • Deposition

  20. Which statement about the particle model and changes of state is correct?

    • Changes of state happen because the mass of the substance changes
    • Changes of state happen because particles change into new substances
    • Changes of state happen only in a vacuum
    • Changes of state happen because particles gain or lose energy

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