Thermal Properties & Temperature (Cambridge International IGCSE Physics): Exam Questions

Equal volumes of steel, oil and hydrogen are heated from 20 °C to 60 °C.

Their volumes increase by thermal expansion.

State which of these substances has the greatest increase in volume.

Fig. 7.1 shows a liquid-in-glass thermometer.

(i) State the temperature reading on the thermometer.

(ii) State the temperature range of the thermometer.

(iii) State the values of the fixed points of the Celsius scale of temperature.

The liquid-in-glass thermometer uses the thermal expansion of mercury.

State and explain one other application or consequence of thermal expansion in science or engineering.

Describe, in terms of the behaviour of the molecules, what happens when a liquid evaporates.

Extended

Fig. 4.1 shows wet clothes drying on a washing line in an outside area.

State two changes in the weather that help the wet clothes to dry more quickly.

Extended Tier Only

Liquids and gases are two states of matter.

In both boiling and evaporation, a liquid changes into a gas.

(i) State two ways in which boiling differs from evaporation.

(ii) Before injecting a patient, a doctor wipes a small amount of a volatile liquid on to the patient’s skin.

Explain, in terms of molecules, how this procedure cools the patient’s skin.

Extended Tier Only

Gases can be compressed but liquids are incompressible.

Explain, in terms of molecules, why liquids are incompressible.

Explain, in terms of molecular behaviour, how thermal expansion takes place in a liquid.

Table 1.1 shows the relative expansion of solids and gases for equal volumes at equal pressures for equal temperature rises, when compared to a liquid.

Table 1.1

Complete the table choosing words from the following list:

much less slightly less slightly more much more

State one use of thermal expansion.

Metal railway tracks, road surfaces and bridges can all suffer thermal expansion in high temperatures.

State one way that engineers minimise this issue in their design of such structures.

Extended

State what is meant by specific heat capacity.

Extended

A student uses the equipment shown in Fig. 1.1 to determine the specific heat capacity of aluminium.

The student took the following readings:

mass of aluminium block = 0.796 kg

energy supplied = 18 792 J

State the other readings that the student needs to take.

Extract:

Initial temperature = 20°C Final temperature = 46°C Change in temperature = final − initial Change in temperature = 46 − 20 = 26°C

Extended

Fig. 1.2 shows the reading before the heater was switched on. Fig. 1.3 shows the reading at the end of the investigation.

Calculate the change in temperature.

change in temperature = ....................................

Extract:

mass of aluminium block = 0.796 kg energy supplied = 18 792 J Change in temperature = 26°C

Extended

Use the information from parts (b) and (c) to calculate the specific heat capacity of aluminium.

Give the correct units in your answer.

specific heat capacity = ....................................

Extended

State three factors that determine the rate of evaporation of water.

Extended

A person climbs out of a swimming pool and stands in the open air.

Explain why evaporation of water from the surface of the person’s body causes the person to feel cold.

The arrows on Fig. 5.1 represent changes of state.

One of the arrows is labelled. Label each of the other arrows with the correct change of state. Write the change of state on the dotted lines next to each arrow.

Extended

A beaker contains some liquid with a low boiling point. The beaker is placed onto a small amount of water, as shown in Fig. 5.2.

The liquid in the beaker evaporates quickly. The water on the bench cools and turns to ice.

Explain why the water cools.

Extended

In a laboratory at normal room temperature, 200 g of water is poured into a beaker. A thermometer placed in the water has a reading of 22 °C.

Small pieces of ice at 0 °C are added to the water one by one. The mixture is stirred after each addition until the ice has melted. This process is continued until the temperature recorded by the thermometer is 0 °C.

The total mass of ice added to the water is found to be 60 g.

The specific heat capacity of water is 4.2J/(g °C).

Calculate the energy transferred from the water's thermal energy store originally in the beaker.

thermal energy = ...........................................................

Extended tier only

Fig. 5.1 shows a plastic cup. The cup contains sand, an electric heater and a thermometer.

The power of the heater is 50 W. The mass of the sand in the cup is 550 g. The initial temperature of the sand is 20 °C. The heater is switched on for 2.0 minutes.

The temperature is recorded until the temperature stops increasing. The highest temperature recorded by the thermometer is 33 °C.

(i) Calculate the energy supplied by the heater.

energy = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) Calculate a value for the specific heat capacity of the sand, using your answer to (a)(i) and the data in the question.

specific heat capacity = ......................................................... [3]

(iii) Explain why the specific heat capacity of sand may be different from the value calculated in (a)(ii).

Extended tier only

On a sunny day, the temperature of the sand on a beach is much higher than the temperature of the sea.

Explain why.

Extended

Fig. 4.1 shows apparatus used by a student to measure the specific heat capacity of iron.

The student improves the accuracy of the experiment by placing material around the block, as shown in Fig. 4.2.

(i) Suggest the name of a possible material the student could use and explain how it improves the accuracy of the experiment.

(ii) State how the student could further improve the accuracy of the experiment by using more of the material used in Fig. 4.2.

Extended

The current in the heater is 3.8 A and the potential difference (p.d.) across it is 12 V. The iron block has a mass of 2.0 kg. When the heater is switched on for 10 minutes, the temperature of the block rises from 25 °C to 55 °C.

Calculate the specific heat capacity of iron.

specific heat capacity = ...........................................................

Extended Tier Only

During a picnic on a warm, dry day, a metal can of lemonade is wrapped in a damp cloth.

Evaporation cools the water in the cloth.

Explain, in terms of molecules, how evaporation cools the water in the cloth.

Fig. 5.1 shows a kitchen tap that supplies instant boiling water.

Cold water passes over an electric immersion heater inside the tap.

The boiling point of water is 100 °C.

State what is meant by boiling point.

Extended Tier Only

The immersion heater is powered by the mains at a voltage of 230 V. When the tap is opened, the heater switches on and the current in the heater is 13 A.

(i) Calculate the thermal energy produced by the heater in 60 s.

thermal energy = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/(kg °C). The cold water that enters the tap is at 22 °C.

Calculate the rate at which water at its boiling point emerges from the tap.

rate = ......................................................... [4]

A student investigates how a beaker of hot water cools down.

Fig. 6.1 shows the apparatus.

Fig. 6.1

Describe the arrangement, separation and motion of particles in a liquid.

Extract:

A student investigates how a beaker of hot water cools down.

Fig. 6.1 shows the apparatus.

Fig. 6.1

The student leaves the water to cool and monitors the temperature.

(i) State the name of the process in which a liquid loses thermal energy by particles escaping from its surface.

(ii) State two ways the student could reduce the total rate of thermal energy loss from the water.

Extract:

A student investigates how a beaker of hot water cools down.

Fig. 6.1 shows the apparatus.

Fig. 6.1

As the water cools, thermal energy is transferred from the hot water to the surroundings.

(i) State which thermal process transfers energy through the glass of the beaker.

(ii) Explain how a convection current forms in the water in the beaker.

(iii) Suggest one everyday situation where convection is a useful method of thermal energy transfer.

State what is meant by specific heat capacity.

A student heats a $2.0\mathrm{kg}$ aluminium block in an electrical heater of power $48W$. The initial temperature of the block is $20^{\circ}C$. After 20 minutes, the temperature of the block is $45^{\circ}C$.

Calculate the specific heat capacity of aluminium.

Extract:

A student heats a 2.0 kg aluminium block in an electrical heater of power 48 W. The initial temperature of the block is 20 °C. After 20 minutes, the temperature of the block is 45 °C.

Calculate the specific heat capacity of aluminium.

Calculated value: 1150-1152 J/(kg °C)

The accepted value for the specific heat capacity of aluminium is $900\text{J/(kg °C)}$.

Suggest why the student's calculated value is higher than the accepted value.

Explain, in terms of particles, what happens to the internal energy of the block as its temperature increases.

State and explain any effect on the sensitivity of a liquid-in-glass thermometer of reducing the diameter of the capillary tube.

State and explain any effect on the sensitivity of a liquid-in-glass thermometer of increasing the volume of the liquid-filled bulb.

Extended

Gas of mass 0.23 g is trapped in a cylinder by a piston. The gas is at atmospheric pressure which is 1.0 × 10⁵ Pa. Fig. 4.1 shows the piston held in position by a catch.

The volume of the trapped gas is 1.9 × 10^–4 m³.

An electrical heater is used to increase the temperature of the trapped gas by 550 °C.

The specific heat capacity of the gas is 0.72 J / (g °C).

(i) Calculate the energy required to increase the temperature of the trapped gas by 550 °C.

energy = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) The power of the heater is 2.4 W.

1. Calculate how long it takes for the heater to supply the energy calculated in (a)(i).

time = ......................................................... [2]

1. In practice, it takes much longer to increase the temperature of the gas by 550 °C using the heater. Suggest one reason for this.

Extract:

Gas of mass 0.23 g is trapped in a cylinder by a piston. The gas is at atmospheric pressure which is 1.0 × 10^5 Pa. The volume of the trapped gas is 1.9 × 10^–4 m^3. An electrical heater is used to increase the temperature of the trapped gas by 550 °C.

When the temperature of the gas has increased by 550 °C, its pressure is 2.9 × 10^5 Pa.

Extended

When the temperature of the gas has increased by 550 °C, its pressure is 2.9 × 10⁵ Pa. The catch is then released allowing the piston to move. As the piston moves, the temperature of the gas remains constant.

(i) State and explain what happens to the piston.

(ii) Determine the volume of the gas when the piston stops moving.

volume = ......................................................... [3]

Extended Tier Only

A beaker contains some water at room temperature. A student places a mercury-in-glass thermometer in the water with the bulb of the thermometer just beneath the surface of the water.

Fig. 4.1 shows the arrangement.

The student uses an electric fan to blow air across the open top of the beaker. She notices that the reading on the thermometer begins to decrease.

Explain, in terms of water molecules, why the temperature of the water at the surface begins to decrease.

Extract:

A beaker contains some water at room temperature. A student places a mercury-in-glass thermometer in the water with the bulb of the thermometer just beneath the surface of the water.

Fig. 4.1 shows the arrangement.

The student uses an electric fan to blow air across the open top of the beaker. She notices that the reading on the thermometer begins to decrease.

The student places the thermometer near the bottom of the beaker. The electric fan continues to blow air across the top of the beaker. After some time, the student observes that the temperature of the water at the bottom of the beaker is decreasing.

State the name of the thermal transfer method causing this and explain what is happening in the water.

Extract:

A beaker contains some water at room temperature. A student places a mercury-in-glass thermometer in the water with the bulb of the thermometer just beneath the surface of the water.

Fig. 4.1 shows the arrangement.

The student uses an electric fan to blow air across the open top of the beaker. She notices that the reading on the thermometer begins to decrease.

The student places the thermometer near the bottom of the beaker. The electric fan continues to blow air across the top of the beaker. After some time, the student observes that the temperature of the water at the bottom of the beaker is decreasing.

The thermometer used in this experiment has a small range and a large sensitivity.

(i) State what is meant by:

1. range

1. sensitivity

(ii) State and explain the effect on the range of the thermometer of using a smaller bulb that contains less mercury.

Extended

A group of students were given the equipment shown in Fig. 1.1 and were asked to identify an unknown clear liquid by its specific heat capacity.

The students were provided with the unknown substance, an electric water bath, and were allowed to use water from the tap.

Suggest why the students were given an electric water bath rather than a Bunsen burner.

Extract:

A group of students were given the equipment shown in Fig. 1.1 and were asked to identify an unknown clear liquid by its specific heat capacity.

The students were provided with the unknown substance, an electric water bath, and were allowed to use water from the tap.

Extended

List the quantities that the students must measure to determine the specific heat capacity of the unknown liquid.

Extract:

A group of students were given the equipment shown in Fig. 1.1 and were asked to identify an unknown clear liquid by its specific heat capacity.

The students were provided with the unknown substance, an electric water bath, and were allowed to use water from the tap.

List the quantities that the students must measure to determine the specific heat capacity of the unknown liquid.

Extended

The students are given Table 1.2 to help with their investigation.

Table 1.2

Suggest a method for measuring the energy transferred from the water bath to the unknown substance.

Extract:

Initial temperature of unknown substance = 22°C Final temperature of unknown substance = 34°C Mass of unknown substance = 0.41 kg Energy transferred = 11 070 J

| Substance | Specific heat capacity (J/kg °C) | | water | 4190 | | ethanol | 2460 | | salt water | 3930 | | acetic acid | 2180 | | glycerine | 2430 |

Extended

The student recorded the following measurements.

Initial temperature of unknown substance = 22°C

Final temperature of unknown substance = 34°C

Mass of unknown substance = 0.41 kg

Energy transferred = 11 070 J

(i) Identify the unknown substance.

(ii) Suggest a reason why the value calculated is different to the value given in the table.