WORKSHEET

Thermal Properties of Matter

Heat Capacity and Specific Heat Capacity

1. Define internal energy.

Internal energy of a substance refers to the sum of molecular kinetic and potential

energies of the particles in the substance.

2. What affects the kinetic component of internal energy?

The vibration or movement of the particles in the substance affects the kinetic

component of internal energy.

3. What affects the potential component of internal energy?

The bonding or spacing between the particles affects the potential component of

internal energy.

4. Define heat capacity.

Heat capacity is the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a

body by 1 K (or 1C).

5. Define specific heat capacity.

Specific heat capacity is the amount of thermal energy required to raise the

temperature of a unit mass (e.g. 1 kg) of a substance by 1 K (or 1C).

6. (a) When heat is supplied to a substance, its internal energy increases.

(b) An increase in internal energy can cause a rise in temperature (increase in the kinetic
component of internal energy) and can cause the particles to move farther away by
weakening the bonds between them (increase in the potential component of internal
energy).

1
 Q
(c) The formula for heat capacity C is C =
∆θ

where Q = amount of thermal energy required (in J);

∆θ = change in temperature (in °C or K).

(d) The SI unit of heat capacity is the joule per kelvin (J K–1) or joule per degree Celsius
(J °C–1).
Q C
(e) The formula for specific heat capacity c is c = =
m   m
where Q = amount of thermal energy required (in J);
∆θ = change in temperature (in °C or K);
m = mass of substance (in kg).
(f) The SI unit of specific heat capacity is the joule per kilogram per kelvin (J kg–1 K–1)
or joule per kilogram per degree Celsius (J kg–1 °C–1).
(g) Substances with higher heat capacities (or higher specific heat capacities) will
require more energy to increase their temperature by 1°C or 1 K than substances with
lower heat capacities (or lower specific heat capacities).
(h) Specific heat capacities are different for each substance.

(i) Describe an electrical method that can be used to determine the specific heat
capacity of a solid.

• Measure the mass m of a solid.

• The solid is well-lagged to reduce/minimise heat loss to the surroundings.

• Immerse a heater of a particular power rating P in the solid.

• Record the time t it takes for the temperature of the solid to increase by ∆θ.

• Use the Principle of Conservation of Energy to determine c:

Energy supplied = heat gained by solid

P × t = m × c × ∆θ

P×t
c=
m × ∆θ

2
 (j) Describe an electrical method that can be used to determine the specific heat
capacity of a liquid.

• Measure the mass mc of a copper calorimeter (with specific heat capacity cc)

and liquid ml in the calorimeter.

• The calorimeter is well-lagged and covered to reduce heat loss to the

surroundings.

• Immerse a heater of a particular power rating P in the liquid.

• Record the time t it takes for the temperature of the liquid to increase by ∆θ.

• Using the Principle of Conservation of Energy,

energy supplied = heat gained by liquid + heat gained by calorimeter

P × t = ml × c × ∆θ + mc × cc × ∆θ

P × t − mc × cc × ∆θ
c=
ml × ∆θ

Melting and Solidification

7. Melting involves the change in the state of a substance from solid to liquid, while
solidification or freezing involves the change in the state of a substance from liquid to
solid.

8. Describe the similarities and differences between melting and solidification.

Melting Solidification
Change in state from solid to liquid Change in state from liquid to solid
Energy is absorbed by substance from Energy is released by substance to
surroundings surroundings
Occurs at a constant temperature Occurs at a constant temperature
No change in the average kinetic energy No change in the average kinetic energy of
of particles during melting particles during solidification
Energy is absorbed to break bonds Energy is released when bonds form
between particles and increase the between particles and the average spacing
average spacing between particles between particles decreases

3
9. Complete the following statements and fill in the boxes with the appropriate states of the
substances.
(a) The curve below shows the melting process.

Temperature

liquid and solid

liquid

melting
point
solid
Time

(b) The curve below shows the freezing/solidification process.

Temperature liquid

liquid and solid

melting
point
solid
Time

Boiling and condensation

10. Boiling involves the change in the state of a substance from liquid to gas, while
condensation involves the change in the state of a substance from gas to liquid.

4
11. Describe the similarities and differences between boiling and condensation.

Boiling Condensation
Change in state from liquid to gas Change in state from gas to liquid

Energy is absorbed by substance from Energy is released by substance to

surroundings surroundings

Occurs at a constant temperature Occurs at a constant temperature

No change in the average kinetic No change in the average kinetic

energy of particles during boiling energy of particles during
condensation
Energy is absorbed to break bonds Energy is released when bonds form
between particles and increase the between particles and the average
average spacing between particles, and spacing between particles decreases
push back air molecules in the
atmosphere

12. Boiling and condensation curves are similar to melting and solidification curves. A
heating or cooling curve can be drawn to show both processes (melting and boiling, or
condensing and solidifying) simultaneously.
(a) Draw a heating curve. Label the temperatures (boiling or melting points) at which
melting and boiling occur. Identify where melting and boiling take place.

Temperature

boiling boiling
point

melting melting
point

Time

5
 (b) Draw a cooling curve. Label the temperatures (boiling or melting points) at which
condensation and freezing occur. Identify where condensation and freezing take place.

Temperature

boiling condensation
point

melting freezing
point

Time

Latent Heat and Specific Latent Heat

13. (a) Latent heat is the thermal energy absorbed by a substance during boiling and
melting. It is also the thermal energy released by a substance during freezing and
condensation.
(b) There are two types of latent heat. They are the latent heat of fusion (for melting and
freezing) and latent heat of vaporisation (for boiling and condensation).
(c) Latent heat of fusion, Lf, is the amount of thermal energy required to convert a
substance from solid to liquid state at constant temperature. It is also the amount of
thermal energy released when a substance is converted from liquid to solid state at
constant temperature.
(d) The SI unit of latent heat of fusion Lf is the joule (J).
(e) The specific latent heat of fusion lf is defined as the amount of thermal energy
required to convert a unit mass (e.g. 1 kg) of a substance from solid to liquid state.

6
 Q Lf
(f) The formula for specific latent heat of fusion is lf = =
m m
where Q = amount of thermal energy supplied (in J);
m = mass of substance (in kg).
(g) The SI unit of specific latent heat of fusion lf is the joule per kilogram (J kg−1).
(h) Latent heat of vaporisation, Lv, is the amount of thermal energy required to convert a
substance from the liquid to the gaseous state at constant temperature. It is also the
amount of thermal energy released when a substance is converted from the gaseous
to the liquid state at constant temperature.
(i) The SI unit of latent heat of vaporisation Lv is the joule (J).
(j) Specific latent heat of vaporisation lv is defined as the amount of thermal energy
required to convert a unit mass (e.g. 1 kg) of a substance from liquid to gaseous
state.
Q Lv
(k) The formula for specific latent heat of vaporisation is lv = =
m m
where Q = amount of thermal energy supplied (in J);
m = mass of substance (in kg).
(l) The SI unit of specific latent heat of vaporisation lv is J kg−1.
(m) Substances with higher specific latent heat will require more energy to change their
states than substances of the same masses with lower specific latent heat.
(n) Substances with larger masses will require more energy to change their states than
substances of smaller masses with the same specific latent heat. This is because
latent heat is dependent on the types of substances and their masses.

Evaporation

14. (a) Evaporation is a process that converts a liquid to its gaseous state.
(b) Evaporation requires heat to be absorbed from the surroundings. This causes the
temperature of the surroundings to decrease. This is known as the cooling effect of
evaporation.

7
15. Describe six differences between evaporation and boiling.
Boiling Evaporation
Occurs at fixed temperature Occurs at any temperature

It is a relatively quick process It is a relatively slow process

Takes place throughout the liquid Takes place only at the surface of the
liquid
Bubbles are formed in the liquid No bubbles are formed in the liquid

Temperature remains constant during Temperature usually decreases

boiling during evaporation

Thermal energy is supplied by an Thermal energy is supplied by the

energy source surroundings

16. Why does evaporation cause cooling? Explain using the kinetic model of matter.
• Molecules in the liquid absorb thermal energy from the surroundings.
• At the liquid surface, molecules that are more energetic can overcome the attractive
forces of other molecules and escape into the atmosphere.
• The slower moving molecules left behind are less energetic. This lowers the
temperature of the liquid.

8
17. Explain how the following factors affect the rate of evaporation.
The higher the surrounding temperature, the faster the
Surrounding temperature rate of evaporation.

The more humid the surrounding air, the slower the rate
Humidity of surrounding
of evaporation.
air

The greater the pressure of the surrounding air, the

Pressure of surrounding
slower the rate of evaporation.
air

The greater the surface area of the exposed liquid, the

Surface area faster the rate of evaporation.

The smaller the heat capacity of the liquid, the faster the
Heat capacity of liquid rate of evaporation.

The presence of moving air (wind) increases the rate of

Movement of surrounding
evaporation.
air