Helium Balloons

Question

Malik is investigating the properties of helium. Malik finds the chart below about helium in a textbook.

The table shows information about helium. To be in a solid state, helium must be under extreme pressure. To be in a liquid state, helium must be at negative 273 degrees celsius. To be in a gas state, helium must be at room temperature of about 21 degrees celsius.

Malik uses models to study helium as different states of matter. He also investigates the motion of helium molecules.

Multiple Choice Question
Malik places a helium-filled balloon in a sunny window. He wonders how the motion of helium gas molecules in the balloon would be affected by the addition of thermal energy from the Sun. Which graph BEST represents the effect of adding thermal energy on the motion of the helium gas molecules?

A.
The graph shows increasing thermal energy on the horizontal axis and increasing motion of helium gas molecules on the vertical axis. A bell-shaped curve is shown.

B.
The graph shows increasing thermal energy on the horizontal axis and increasing motion of helium gas molecules on the vertical axis. A line starts midway on the vertical axis and remains parallel to the horizontal axis.

C.
The graph shows increasing thermal energy on the horizontal axis and increasing motion of helium gas molecules on the vertical axis. A line starting at the top of the vertical axis descends to the right and touches the end of the horizontal axis.

D.
The graph shows increasing thermal energy on the horizontal axis and increasing motion of helium gas molecules on the vertical axis. A line starts at the origin and ascends to the top right.

Answer 1

The correct answer would be:

D. The graph shows increasing thermal energy on the horizontal axis and increasing motion of helium gas molecules on the vertical axis. A line starts at the origin and ascends to the top right.

This graph represents the idea that as thermal energy increases (such as placing a helium-filled balloon in a sunny window), the motion of the helium gas molecules also increases. This is consistent with the behavior of gases: with more thermal energy, gas molecules move faster, resulting in increased motion.