IGCSEPhysics: Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award)CIEExam Questions2. Thermal PhysicsThermal Properties & Temperature

Thermal Properties & Temperature (CIE IGCSE Physics: Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award))

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.

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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

Extended Tier Only

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

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

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2a4 marks

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

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2b2 marks

Extended Tier Only

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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3a2 marks

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

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3b2 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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3c1 mark

Extended Tier Only

State one use of thermal expansion.

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3d1 mark

Extended Tier Only

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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1a2 marks

Extended Tier Only

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

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1b2 marks

Extended Tier Only

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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2a3 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.

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2b3 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.

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2c3 marks

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

 
(i)
State what is meant by:
 
1.
range
[1]
2.
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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