1
1 A quantity of gas is trapped by a piston in a cylinder with thin metal walls. The piston is free to move
without friction within the cylinder.
The diagram shows the cylinder and piston.
gas
cylinder
piston
The cylinder is placed inside a freezer.
As the temperature of the metal cylinder decreases, the volume of the metal decreases. The
decrease in the volume of the metal is much less than the decrease in the volume of the gas.
Explain, in terms of the particles of the metal, why the decrease in the volume of the metal is less
than that of the gas.
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[Total: 2]
2 An electrical heater is placed on the floor of a room in a house. The heater is switched on.
State the main process by which thermal energy is transferred to the air in all parts of the room.
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[Total: 1]
3 Liquid-in-glass thermometer A has a greater range than liquid-in-glass thermometer B.
State one way the design of thermometer A is different from thermometer B.
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[Total: 1]
2
4 Suggest when a thermocouple thermometer is more suitable than a liquid-in-glass thermometer.
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[Total: 1]
5 A student uses an immersion heater to heat some water in a beaker.
The water is heated from 20 °C to 80 °C.
The energy supplied to the water is 60.0 kJ.
What is the thermal capacity of the water? (Ignore any heat loss.)
A 667 J / °C B 750 J / °C C 1000 J / °C D 3000 J / °C
[1]
[Total: 1]
6 A block of ice at −20 °C is heated until it turns to steam. The graph of temperature against thermal
energy absorbed is shown.
The latent heat of fusion of ice is 340 kJ / kg.
temperature 100
°C 80
60
40
20
0
–20
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600
126 kJ 1146 kJ thermal energy 2406 kJ
absorbed / kJ
What is the mass of ice?
A 1.0 kg B 2.0 kg C 3.0 kg D 4.0 kg
[1]
[Total: 1]
3
7 A metal has a specific heat capacity of 360 J / (kg °C). An object made of this metal has a mass of
2.0 kg.
What is the thermal capacity (heat capacity) of the object?
A 180 J / °C B 180 J / kg C 720 J / °C D 720 J / kg
[1]
[Total: 1]
8 In which type of substance are free electrons involved in the transfer of thermal energy?
A all liquids
B all solids
C metals only
D plastics only
[1]
[Total: 1]
9 The figure shows a simple liquid-in-glass (alcohol) thermometer made by a technician in a laboratory.
The thermometer is to be used to measure temperatures in the range −10 °C to 110 °C. There is
no scale on the thermometer.
Identify the physical property used by a liquid-in-glass thermometer to measure temperature.
Tick one box.
colour
expansion
pressure
resistance
[1]
[Total: 1]
4
10 A round-bottomed flask is connected to a mercury manometer. The air inside the flask is warm.
The arrangement is shown in the figure.
mm
500
400
mercury
300
air
200
100
The air inside the flask cools.
State what happens to the pressure of the air inside the flask as the air cools.
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[Total: 1]
11 The figure shows a domestic hot water system.
to taps
metal
storage
water tank
jacket heater
from
water
supply
The heater is placed at the bottom of the storage tank.
Name the process by which water in contact with the heater becomes hot.
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[Total: 1]
5
12 The temperature of some water is reduced to –10 °C.
In which state is the water at this
temperature?............................................................ [1]
[Total: 1]
13 The thermometer in the figure is recording the temperature of a laboratory.
–10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
°C
The bulb of the thermometer is placed in pure, boiling water at standard atmospheric pressure.
State the temperature increase.
temperature increase = .................................................................°C [1]
[Total: 1]
14 Liquid X has a higher specific heat capacity than liquid Y.
What does this mean?
A 1 kg of liquid X needs to be given more energy than 1 kg of liquid Y to make it evaporate.
B 1 kg of liquid X releases more energy than 1 kg of liquid Y when it freezes.
C More energy needs to be supplied to 1 kg of liquid X than to 1 kg of liquid Y for their temperatures
to rise by the same amount.
D The temperature of 1 kg of liquid X rises more than the temperature of 1 kg of liquid Y when
they are given the same amount of energy.
[1]
[Total: 1]
6
15 In some countries, the soil is too cold for plants to grow well. In these countries, plants are grown
in plastic pots and kept inside. The pots, containing soil, are placed on sand. The sand is heated
using an electrical heater, as shown in the diagram.
plant
soil
plastic sand
plant pot
heating element in sand
Describe, in terms of molecules, how thermal energy is transferred from the heated sand through
the base of the plastic pot.
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[Total: 2]
16 The figure shows a piece of apparatus used to show the transfer of thermal energy in liquids.
crystals coloured water
glass water
tube
heat
The glass tube is filled with cold water. Crystals that dissolve slowly are inserted into the bottom of
the tube. The water around the crystals becomes coloured.
When the glass tube is heated as shown in the figure, the coloured water moves.
(a) On the figure, draw arrows indicating the direction of movement of the water in each section
of the tube. [1]
7
(b) State the name of this method of thermal energy transfer in the water.
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[Total: 2]
17 The figure shows a simple liquid-in-glass (alcohol) thermometer made by a technician in a laboratory.
The thermometer is to be used to measure temperatures in the range −10 °C to 110 °C. There is
no scale on the thermometer.
The scale is added using fixed points.
Describe how the thermometer is cooled to its lower fixed point.
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[Total: 2]
8
18 A round-bottomed flask is connected to a mercury manometer. The air inside the flask is warm.
The arrangement is shown in the figure.
mm
500
400
mercury
300
air
200
100
The air inside the flask cools.
In terms of the air molecules, state two ways in which the air changes as it cools.
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[Total: 2]
19 At night, the temperature in a laboratory falls.
Describe what can be seen happening to the liquid in a thermometer as the temperature falls, and
explain why this happens.
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[Total: 2]
9
20 In the space provided, draw a labelled diagram of a thermocouple thermometer.
[3]
[Total: 3]