Practise 29 exam-style questions on Atmospheric pressure (physics only) for AQA GCSE Physics. Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.
29 questions
1–6 marks each
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20 questions, marked as you go
Sample questions with model answers
Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.
Question 1
1 mark
Atmospheric pressure is measured at four places:
on a beach at sea level at the top of a hill at the top of a high mountain outside an aeroplane flying 10 km above sea level
At which place is the atmospheric pressure lowest?
Model answer
Outside the aeroplane flying 10 km above sea level.
Explanation
Atmospheric pressure decreases with height, because there is less air above. The aeroplane is the highest of the four places, so it has the least air above it and the lowest pressure; the beach at sea level has the highest pressure.
Mark scheme
1 mark
outside the aeroplane flying 10 km above sea level
Question 2
2 marks
A sealed packet of crisps is filled with air at sea level. When the packet is taken up a high mountain, it puffs up and looks as if it is about to burst.
Explain why.
Model answer
At the top of the mountain the atmospheric pressure outside the packet is lower than at sea level, because there is less air above. The air sealed inside the packet is still pushing outwards at a higher pressure, so there is a resultant outward force on the packet and it puffs up.
Explanation
The packet was sealed when the pressures inside and outside were equal. Going up, only the outside pressure falls, so the pressure difference pushes the packet outwards. The same effect makes your ears pop on a mountain road or in an aeroplane.
Mark scheme
1 mark
the atmospheric pressure outside the packet decreases as altitude increases
allow there is less air above at the top of the mountain
1 mark
so the pressure of the air inside is greater than outside, giving a resultant outward force on the packet
allow the air inside pushes outwards more than the air outside pushes inwards
Question 3
3 marks
A window is 1.2 m wide and 1.0 m high. The atmospheric pressure outside is 100 kPa.
Calculate the force exerted by the air outside on the window.
Model answer
Area = 1.2 × 1.0 = 1.2 m² p = 100 kPa = 100 000 Pa F = p × A = 100 000 × 1.2 = 120 000 N
Explanation
Rearranging pressure = force ÷ area gives force = pressure × area. Atmospheric pressure is large, so even an ordinary window has a force of over 100 000 N on it from the air outside - about the weight of 12 tonnes.
Mark scheme
1 mark
area = 1.2 × 1.0 = 1.2 (m²)
an answer of 120 000 (N) scores 3 marks; an answer of 120 scores 2 marks
1 mark
F = 100 000 × 1.2
substitution with pressure in Pa; allow ecf from their area
1 mark
120 000 (N)
allow 1.2 × 10⁵ N; allow 120 kN
Question 4
4 marks
At the cruising height of an aeroplane, the atmospheric pressure is very low. The air inside the cabin is kept at a much higher pressure than the air outside.
Explain why the cabin air pressure is kept high and why the body of the aeroplane must be very strong.
Model answer
At cruising height there is much less air above the aeroplane, so the outside air is very thin and has a low pressure. Passengers breathing this air would not get enough oxygen, so the cabin is pressurised. Because the pressure inside is much greater than outside, there is a resultant outward force on every part of the aeroplane's body. The body has a very large surface area, so this force (pressure difference × area) is huge, and the body must be strong enough not to burst.
Explanation
Low atmospheric pressure at altitude means low air density and too little oxygen, so cabins are pressurised. The pressure difference acts at right angles to the whole surface of the fuselage, producing enormous outward forces that the structure must withstand on every flight.
Mark scheme
1 mark
at cruising height there is much less air above, so the air is thin / has a low density
max 4
1 mark
passengers would not get enough oxygen (in each breath)
allow passengers could not breathe properly / would become unconscious
1 mark
the pressure inside is greater than outside, so there is a resultant outward force on every part of the body (fuselage)
1 mark
the area of the body is large, so the force (= pressure difference × area) is very large
1 mark
the body must withstand this force every flight without bursting / tearing
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