IGCSEPhysicsCambridge (CIE)Exam Questions2. Thermal PhysicsThermal Properties & Temperature

Thermal Properties & Temperature (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

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Thermal Properties & Temperature

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Thermal Properties & Temperature

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1a1 mark

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.

1b3 marks

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

 

thermometer

(i) State the temperature reading on the thermometer.

[1]

(ii) State the temperature range of the thermometer.

[1]

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

[1]

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1c3 marks

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.

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2a4 marks

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

2b2 marks

Extended

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

q4

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

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3a6 marks

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.

[2]

(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.

[4]

3b2 marks

Extended Tier Only

Gases can be compressed but liquids are incompressible.

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

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4a2 marks

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

4b2 marks

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. 

state of matter

expansion compared to liquids

solid

 

gases

 

Table 1.1

Complete the table choosing words from the following list:

much less
slightly less
slightly more
much more

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4c1 mark

State one use of thermal expansion.

4d1 mark

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.

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5a2 marks

Extended

State what is meant by specific heat capacity.

5b1 mark

Extended 

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

 

2-2-5b-e-specific-heat-capacity-set-up

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.

5c3 marks

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.

 

2-2-5c-e-thermometer-1
2-2-5c-e-thermometer-2

Calculate the change in temperature.

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

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5d4 marks

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 = .................................... 

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1a3 marks

Extended

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

1b2 marks

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.

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2a3 marks

The arrows on Fig. 5.1 represent changes of state.

screenshot-2022-10-27-at-14-01-57

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.

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2b3 marks

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.

screenshot-2022-10-27-at-14-07-13

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

Explain why the water cools.

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32 marks

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 = ...........................................................

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4a7 marks

Extended

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

q5

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). 

[2]

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4b2 marks

Extended

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

  Explain why.

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5a4 marks

Extended

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

uVQDs8g-_q4

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

q4a

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

[3] 

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

[1]

5b4 marks

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 = ...........................................................

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1a2 marks

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

1b2 marks

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

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2a5 marks

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.

sGf1GOLb_q5

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.

[1]

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2b5 marks

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.

[2]

    

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

   

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

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3a3 marks

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.

q4

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.

3b3 marks

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.

3c3 marks

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

 

(i) State what is meant by:

  1.  range

[1]

  1. sensitivity

[1]

 

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

[1]

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4a1 mark

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. 

2-2-5a-h

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.

4b3 marks

Extended

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

4c2 marks

Extended

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

Substance

Specific heat capacity (J/kg °C)

water

4190

ethanol

2460

salt water

3930

acetic acid

2180

glycerine

2430

Table 1.2 

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

4d5 marks

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.

[4]

 

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

[1]

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