Thermal Physics

2 Thermal Physics
1. Simple kinetic molecular model of
matter
2. Thermal properties
3. Transfer of thermal energy

1. A swimmer climbs out of a swimming pool Bulb Bore

on a warm, dry day. Almost immediately A Thick glass Narrow
he begins to feel cool. B Thick glass Wide
Why is this ? C Thin glass Narrow
A. The water allows a convection current to D Thin glass wide
remove heat from his skin.
B. The water takes latent heat from his
body in order to evaporate 4. A glass jug is designed so that it does not
C. The water on his skin is a good break when boiling water is poured into it.
conductor of heat What sort of glass should be used ?
D. The water prevents infra-red radiation
from reaching his body

2. Ice at -10C is heated at a constant rate

until it is water at + 10C .
Which graph shows how the temperature
changes with time ?

5. A substance consists of particles that are

close together and moving past each
other at random. Te average speed of the
particles gradually increasing.
What best describes the substance ?
A. a liquid being boiled to form a gas
B. a liquid being heated
C. a solid being heated
D. a solid being melted to from a liquid

6. A liquid-in-glass thermometer consists of a

bulb containing a liquid. The liquid can
expand into a very thin capillary tube.

3. A clinical thermometer is designed to

respond quickly to a change in
temperature and to have a high sensitivity.
The liquid in the thermometer is replaced by
another liquid that expands more for the
same temperature rise.

The new thermometer will have

A. greater sensitivity and greater range
Which design features should the clinical B. greater sensitivity but less range
thermometer have ?

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C. the same sensitivity and the same needed to raise the temperature of a 2 Kg
range block by 20 0 C.
D. the same sensitivity but grater range What value for specific heat capacity is
given by these results ?
7. The diagram shows a vacuum flask and an A. 130 J/(kg C)
enlarged view of a section through the B. 520 J/(kg C)
flask wall. C. 52 000 J/(kg C)
D. 104 000 J/(kg C)

11. A person cannot unscrew the lid of a pot

of jam. He finds that the lid can be
unscrewed after it has been held under
hot, running water for a few seconds.

The main reason for the silvering is to reduce

heat transfer by
A. conduction only
B. radiation only
C. conduction and convection Why is this ?
D. conduction and radiation A. the air pressure in the jar falls
B. the glass expands
8. What factors increase the rate of C. the jam melts
evaporation of a liquid ? D. the lid expands

12. The diagram shows a thick copper plate

that is very hot. One side is black and the
other is shiny.
A student places her hands the same
distance from each side as shown.

9. Four mercury-in-glass thermometers are

made with different dimensions

Her left hand feels warmer than her right hand.

Which statement is the correct conclusion
from the experiment ?
A. the black side is the hotter than the
Which will have the greatest sensitivity ? shiny one
A. 10 cm long and bore 0.75 mm wide B. the black side radiates more heat
B. 15 cm long and bore 0.50 mm wide C. the shiny side radiates more heat
C. 25 cm long and bore 0.10 mm wide D. the shiny side is cooling down faster
D. 30 cm long and bore 0.25 mm wide than the black side

10. In an experiment to find the specific heat

capacity of a metal , is found that 5200 J is

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13. Some of the more energetic molecules in a liquid The change in shape occurs because
leave the surface , leaving the rest of the liquid A. a brass contracts more than invar
slightly cooler. B. brass expands when it cools down
What is the name given to this process ? C. invar and brass contract by equal
A. boiling amounts
B. condensation D. invar contracts more than brass
C. evaporation
D. freezing 18. Density changes are responsible for which
method of thermal energy transfer ?
14. A substance consists of particles that are close A. conduction only
together and moving past each other at random. B. convection only
The average speed of the partials is gradually C. radiation only
increasing. D. conduction, convection and
What best describes the substance ? radiation
A. a gas being heated
B. a liquid being heated 19. A liquid is heated.
C. a solid being heated Which statement is incorrect ?
D. a solid being melted A. the molecules expand
B. the molecules gain energy
15. Which thermometer is the best foe measuring C. the molecules move further apart
rapidly changing temperature ? D. the molecules move faster
A. a clinical thermometer
B. a liquid-in-glass thermometer 20. What describes the molecular structure of
C. a thermo couple a liquid ?
D. all thermometers are equally good

16. Some ice cubes are taken from a deep freeze

and placed in a metal container. The container is
heated at a constant rate and readings of
temperature and time are taken. The results are
recorded on a graph.
Which temperature corresponds to 0 C ?
21 A thermocouple thermometer uses a
voltmeter to measure the e.m.f generated
between two junctions. The junctions are at
temperatures t1 and t2. To calibrate the
thermometer , fixed points are needed.

17. The diagram show a bimetallic strip when it is at

room temperature after it has been cooled.

What are the values of t1 and t2 when the

thermometer is calibrated at the steam point
?

t1 t2
A 0 C 0 C
B 0 C 100 C
C 25 C 0 C
D 25 C 125 C

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21. What is the definition of heat capacity ?
A. the quantity of heat required to raise the
temperature of an object through 1 C
B. the quantity of heat required to raise the
temperature of 1 kg substance through
1 C
C. the quantity of heat required to convert
an object from solid to liquid with out a
change in temperature
D. the quantity of heat required to change 1
kg of substance from solid to liquid with
out a change in temperature
22. Fillings in teeth should made from a
material which
A. expands more than the tooth when
heated
B. expands by the same amount as the
tooth when heated
C. expands less then the tooth when
heated
D. does not expand when heated
23. A double –glazed window has two sheets
of glass separated by a layer of air.
Thermal energy is conducted through the
layer of the air. The amount of conduction
and convection varies with thickness of the
layer of air, as shown in the graph
Which thickness of air produces the smallest
energy transfer
A. 0.5 cm because there is little
convection
B. 1.0 cm because the total thermal
energy transfer is least
C. 1.5 cm because the total thermal
energy transfer is small and
conduction is low
D. 2.0 cm because there is little
conduction
24. A liquid evaporates rapidly.
Why does it cool ?
A. Air molecules remove heat by
contact with the liquid surface
B. Energy is lost by convection currents
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C. Fewer molecules are left in the liquid
D. Some of the most energetic molecules
leave the liquid
25. When ice melts to become water , which
force must be overcome ?
A. the attraction between electrons and the
nucleus
B. the attraction between the atoms in the
molecule
C. the force between molecules
D. the force of gravity
26. A substance is heated in an enclosed space
until it becomes a gas
After heater is removed , the temperature is
recorded in regular intervals . The graph
plotted temperature against time graph.
What does the section PQ represents ?
A. boiling
B. condensing
C. melting
D. solidifying
27. A student is given a thermometer that reads 1
C in pure melting ice and 101 C in pure
boiling water . She uses it to measure the
temperature of some water before and after it
is heated.
The increase in temperature of water
calculated from her results is
A. 1 C is too low
B. Correct
C. 1 C is too high
D. 2 C is too high
28. Fiber is used for home insulation in cold
country, as shown in the diagram.
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 Thermal Physics

Heat cannot easily escape through the ceiling

because the fiber
31. Assuming the temperature remains constant ,
A. traps air
which combination correctly describes the
B. is warm
volume and shape of a gas or liquid ?
C. is tightly packed
D. heats the roof space
Gas or Volume Shape
liquid
29. The diagram shows four similar cans. Each can
contains the same volume of water initially at 80 A Gas Fixed Not fixed
B Gas Not fixed Not fixed
C. After five minutes , which can will contain the
C Liquid Fixed fixed
coolest water ?
D liquid Not fixed fixed

32. An axle is too large to fit into the hole in a

wheel that is made of the same metal.

How can the axle be made to fit into the hole.

A. By cooling the axle alone
B. By cooling the wheel alone
C. By cooling both the axle and the wheel
D. By heating both the axle and the wheel

33. A 2 kg mass of copper is heated for 40 s by a

30. Which graph shows the relationship between the heater that produces 100 J/s.
pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at The specific heat capacity of copper is 400
constant temperature ? J/(kg K)
What is the rise in temperature ?
A. 5K C. 20 K
B. 10K D. 50 K

34. In a vacuum flask , which methods of heat

transfer are prevented by the vacuum ?
A. conduction only
B. convection only
C. conduction and convection only
D. conduction ,convection and radiation

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35. A student has three sealed plastic bags. One
bag is full of gas, one of liquid and one of solid.
The student squeezes each bag to see if it
changes shape, and warms each bag to see if
it expands.
Which bag contains gas ?
A. the one that changes shape easily
and expands the least when heated
B. the one that changes shape easily
and expands the most when heated
C. the one that is fixed in shape and
expands the least when heated
D. the one that is fixed in shape and
expands the most when heated
36. The diagram shows a cross-section through a
rain-water puddle formed in a shallow hole in a
road surface.
Over a period of time air temperature , wind
speed and wind direction remain constant.
What happens to the rate of evaporation of
water from the puddle ?
A. it decreases , because the surface area
decreases
B. it increases, because the puddle gets
shallower
C. it increases , because the surface area
decreases
D. it remains constant
37. A new liquid is tested to decide whether it is
suitable for use in a liquid-in-glass
thermometer.
It is found that the liquid does not expand
uniformly with temperature.
What will be the effect of this on the scale of
the thermometer?
A. it has a short range
B. it is not linear
C. the markings are too close together
D. the marking are too far apart
38. The fillings for a hole in a tooth should be
made from a material that
A. Expands more than the hole in the tooth
B. Expands by the same amount as the
hole in the tooth
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C. Expands less than the hole in the tooth
D. Does not expand when heated
39. Hat energy is supplied at the same rate to 100
g of paraffin and to 100 g of water in similar
containers.
Why does the temperature of the paraffin rise
more quickly ?
A. the paraffin has a larger specific heat
capacity than water
B. the paraffin has a smaller specific heat
capacity than water
C. the paraffin is less dense than water
D. the paraffin is more dense than water
40. A teacher has a large tank of water in which
he wants to set up a convection current.
Which of the following arrangements would do
this ?
A. cooling at X C. heating at Y
B. cooling at Y D. heating at Z
41. What will not affect the rate of evaporation
from the surface of a liquid ?
A. Depth of the liquid
B. Draughts above the surface of the liquid
C. Surface area of the liquid
D. Temperature of the liquid
42. What makes a thermometer sensitive to small
changes in temperature ?
A. A bulb with a thin glass wall
B. A shiny liquid in its bore
C. A stem with a thick glass wall
D. A very narrow bore
43. A hot liquid is carefully poured into a beaker.
The graph shows how its temperature
changes as it cools towards room
temperature.
A.
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Which processes are taking place at region X 47. What conditions of temperature and surface
? area would produce the most rapid
A. boiling and evaporation evaporation from a pool of water on a road
B. condensation only surface ?
C. evaporation only
D. solidification and evaporation Temperature Surface area
A High Large
44. The diagram shows a room seen from above. B High Small
It is cold outside the room. The room is heated C Low Large
by a small fire in the fireplace. D Low small

48. The sensitivity of a liquid-in-glass thermometer

depends on the volume of the liquid used and
the diameter of the bore of the thermometer.
Which change will produce the greatest
increase in sensitivity ?

Volume of Bore diameter

liquid
A High Large
B High Small
C Low Large
D Low small
Where is most heat lost by convection ?
A. carpet 49. The energy required to change liquid water
B. chimney into water vapour at the same temperature is
C. glass window called latent heat of vaporization.
D. solid wall What does this energy do ?
A. increases the average separation of the
45. An experiment is carried out as shown in the water molecules
diagram. B. increases the average speed of the
water molecules
C. raises the temperature of the air near
the water
D. splits the water molecules into their
separate atoms

50. A 2 kW kettle containing boiling water is

placed on a balance. It is left there and
continues to boil for 5 minutes. The balance
reading changes by 0.2 kg.
Why does the ice take a long time to melt, What does this information give as a value for
even through the water at the top of the tube is the specific latent heat of vaporization of water
boiling ? ?
A. convection never occurs in water A. 2000 J/ kg
B. ice is a poor conductor of heat B. 3000 J/kg
C. the gauze prevents the energy reaching C. 50 000 J /kg
the ice D. 3 000 000 J /kg
D. water s a poor conductor of heat
51. The heat from the hot water in a metal radiator
46. What is a property of both liquids and gases ? passes through the metal and then spreads
A. they always fill their containers around the room ?
B. they are incompressible What are the main processes by which the
C. they can flow heat is transferred through the radiator and
D. they have molecules in fixed positions then spread around the room ?

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Through the Around the In which part of the curve is latent heat
Metal radiator Room released ?
A conduction conduction A. PQ C. RS
B conduction Convection B. QR D. ST
C Radiation Conduction
D Radiation convection 56. The diagram shows the design for an alarm.

52. Which of the following correctly compares the

forces between the molecules in steam, water
and ice ?
Weakest  strongest forces
forces
A ice steam water
B ice water steam
C steam water ice
The mercury pellet moves and completes the
D water steam ice
circuit.
Why does this happen ?
53. On a hot day , a drink in a bottle can be kept
cool by standing it in a bowl of water and
placing a wet cloth over it.

57. Water at the top of a hot-water tank is heated

and the water becomes hot. No water enters
Why is the drink kept cool ? or leaves the tank.
A. Hot air cannot escape from the bottle
B. The cloth conducts heat from the bottle
into the water
C. The drink cannot evaporate from the bottle
D. Water evaporating from the cloth cools the
drink

54. Which instrument is most suitable for

measuring a rapidly changing temperature ?
A. alcohol-in-glass thermometer
B. clinical thermometer
C. mercury-in-glass thermometer
D. thermocouple
Water at the bottom of the tank stays cold for
55. The graph shows the cooling curve of a hot
some time.
substance.
Why is this ?
A. cold water at the top of the tank falls to the
bottom
B. hot water at the top of the tank rises to the
top
C. water is a poor conductor of heat
D. the insulation is a poor conductor of heat

58. The diagram represents molecules in a liquid.

A and C are molecules in a liquid.

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Thermal Physics

B and D are molecules with a low amount of
energy.
Which molecule is most likely to be leaving the
liquid by evaporation ?
62. A bar made of half wood and half copper has
a piece of paper wrapped tightly round it.
The bar is heated strongly at the center for a
short time , and the paper goes brown on one
side only.

Which side goes brown, and what does this

show about and copper ?
59. The size of a balloon increases when the
pressure inside it increases.
The balloon gets bigger when it is left in the
heat from the Sun.

63. The diagrams show part of a water-heating

system which is working by convection.
Which diagram shows the most likely flow of
Why does this happen ? water in the system ?
A. the air molecules inside the balloon all
move outwards when it is heated
B. the air molecules inside the balloon are
bigger when it is heated
C. the air molecules inside the balloon move
more quickly when it is heated
D. the number of air molecules inside the
balloon increases when it is heated

60. What must expand in order to show the

temperature rise in a mercury-in-glass
thermometer ?
A. the glass bulb
B. the glass stem
C. the mercury
D. the vacuum
64. When water evaporates , some molecules
61. The table shows the melting points and boiling escape ?
points of four substances. Which molecules escape ?
Which substance is a liquid at room A. the molecules at the bottom of the liquid
temperature of 20 C ? with less energy than others
B. the molecules at the bottom of the liquid
with more energy than others
C. the molecules at the surface with less
energy than others
D. the molecules at the surface with more
energy than others

65. Two metal boxes containing air are standing in

a room. Box X is on top of a heater. Box Y is
on a bench. The boxes are left for a long time.

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68. A person holds a glass beaker in one hand

and fills it quickly with hot water. It takes
several seconds before his hand starts to feel
the heat.
Why is there this delay ?
Which line in the table best describes the A. glass is a poor conductor of heat.
average speed of the molecules in the B. Glass is a good conductor of heat
containers ? C. water is a poor conductor of heat
D. water is agood conductor of heat

69. The diagram shows a heater used to heat a

tank of cold water.

66. The top of the mercury thread in a mercury-in-

glass thermometer reaches point X at 0C and
point Z at 100 C

What is the main process by which heat

moves through the water ?
A. conduction
B. convection
Where might it be at a temperature below the C. evaporation
ice-point ? D. radiation
A. point W
B. point X 70. A balloon is inflated in a cold room. When the
C. point Y room becomes much warmer , the balloon
D. point Z becomes larger.
How does the behaviour of the air molecules
67. The same quantity of heat energy is applied to in the balloon explain this ?
four different blocks. The temperature rise A. the molecules become larger
produce is shown on each block. B. the molecules evaporate
C. the molecules move more quickly
Which block has the highest thermal D. the molecules repel each other
capacity ?
71. A substance is heated at a steady rate. It
changes from a solid to a liquid, and then to a
gas.
The graph shows how its temperature
changes with time ?

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72. An engineer wants to fix a steel washer on to a Which thermometer reading changes and
steel rod. The rod is just too big to fit into the why ?
hole of the washer.

How can the engineer fit the washer onto the

rod ?
A. cool the washer and put it over the rod
B. cool the washer and rod to the same
temperature and push them together 75. Viewed through a microscope, very small
C. heat the rod and then place it in the hole partials can be seen moving with Brownian
D. heat the washer and place it over the rod motion.
Which line in the table is correct ?
73. An experiment is set up to find out which metal
is the best conductor of heat. Balls are stuck
with wax to rods made from different metals,
as shown in diagram X.
The rods are heated at one end. Some of the
balls fall off, leaving some as shown in
diagram Y.
Which lebelled metal is the best conductor of
heat ?
76. A measured mass of gas is placed in a
cylinder at atmospheric pressure and is then
slowly compressed.

The temperature of the gas does not change.

What happens to the pressure of the gas ?
A. it drops to zero
B. it decrease , but not to zero
C. it stays the same
D. it increases

77. The graph shows the change in temperature

of a material as it is heated.
Which part of the graph shows when the
material is boiling ?

74. Thermometer X is held above an ice cube and

thermometer Y is held the same distance
below the ice cube. After several minutes, the
reading on one thermometer changes. The ice
cube does not melt.

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Thermal Physics
78. An experiment set up is shown .
What does the pressure gauge show as the air
in the flask becomes hotter ?
A. a steady pressure
B. a decrease in pressure
C. an increase in pressure
D. an increase and then a decrease in
pressure
79. an iron bar is held with one end in a fire. The
other end soon becomes too hot to hold.
How has the heat traveled along the iron bar ?
A. by conduction
B. by convection
C. by expansion
by radiation
80. The diagram shows a block of ice places in a
warm room.
At which point is the temperature the lowest ?
81. Brownian motion is seen by looking at smoke
particles through a microscope.
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How do the smoke particles move in Brownian
motion ?
A. all in the same direction
B. at random
C. in circles
D. vibrating about fixed points
82. Driving a car raises the temperature of the
tyres.
This cause the pressure of the air in the tyres
to increase.
Why is this ?
A. air molecules break up to form separate
atoms
B. air molecules expand with the rise in
temperature
C. the force between the air molecules
increases
D. the seed of the air molecules increases
83. To mark a temperature scale on a
thermometer, fixed points are needed.
Which is a fixed point ?
A. The bottom end of the thermometer tube
B. The top end of the thermometer tube
C. The temperature of pure melting ice
D. The temperature of pure warm water
84. Four blocks , made of different materials, are
each given the same quantity of internal(heat)
energy.
Which block has the greatest thermal
capacity ?
85. A long thin bar of copper is heated evenly
along its length.
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Thermal Physics

C. Aluminium has a higher thermal

capacity than water
D. Aluminium has lower thermal capacity
than water

89. Diagram 1 shows apparatus being used to

What happens to the bar ? observe smoke particles.
A. becomes lighter Diagram 2 shows how a smoke particle moves
B. it becomes longer randomly.
C. it becomes shorter
D. it nebs at the ends

86. A beaker contains water at room temperature.

How could a convection current be set up in

the water?
A. Cool the water at X
B. Cool the water at Y
C. Stir the water at X
D. Stir the water at Y

87. Two plastic cups are placed one inside the

other. Hot water is poured into the inner cup
and a lid is put on top as shown.

Why do the smoke particles move randomly

What statement is correct ?
A. Heat loss by radiation is prevented by
the small air gap
B. No heat passes through the sided of
either cup
C. The bench is heated by convection from
the bottom of the outer cup
D. The lid is used to reduce heat loss by
convection
?
A. they are hit b y air molecules
B. they are less dense than air
C. they are moved by convection currents
D. they gain energy from the light
90. Bread can be cooked by placing it below, but
not touching, a heating element.

88. 1 kg of water and 1 kg of aluminium are

heated to the same temperature and then
allowed to cool in a room.
Why does the aluminium cool more quickly
than the water ?
A. Aluminium contracts more than water Which process transfers thermal energy from
B. Aluminium does not evaporate but water the heating element to the bread ?
does A. Conduction C. insulation
B. Convection D. radiation

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91. The graph shows how the temperature of hot
liquid wax changes with time as the wax is
allowed to cool.
At which labeled point on the graph are both
liquid wax and solid wax present ?
92. The diagram shows a refrigerator. The cooling
unit is places at the top. The cooling unit cools
the air near it.
What happens to the density of this air as it
cools and how does it moves ?
93. Some gas sealed in plastic bag is placed in a
refrigerator to cool down.
How do the gas molecules behave when this
happens ?
A. they move more quickly and are closer
together
B. they move more quickly and are further
apart
C. they move more slowly and are closer
together
D. they move more slowly and are further
together apart
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94. A measured mass of gas is placed in a
cylinder at atmospheric pressure and is then
slowly compressed.
If the temperature of the gas does not
change, what happens to the pressure of the
gas ?
A. it drops to zero
B. it decreases , but not to zero
C. it stays the same
D. it increases
95. A mercury-in-glass thermometer is to be used
to measure temperature from 0C to 100 C
Why is mercury suitable ?
A. mercury expands when heated
B. mercury has a boiling point below 100C
C. mercury has a melting point above 0 C
D. mercury is poor conductor
96. A block is heated at a constant rate.
Eventually the melted ice boils.
The graph shows how the temperature
changes with time.
How many minutes did it take to melt all the
ice ?
A. 4 C. 11
B. 7 D. 13
97. How does thermal energy(heat energy) travel
through the vacuum between the Earth and
Sun ?
A. by conduction
B. by convection
C. by radiation
D. by radioactive decay
98. Which line in the table correctly describes
whether the molecules of a solid, liquid and
gas are moving or stationary ?
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Thermal Physics

D. conduction, convection and radiation

102. The diagrams show four identical pieces of

ice that are heated in test tubes of water.
In which test-tube will the ice take the longer
time to melt ?

99. The diagram shows how the atoms in a

substance rearrange themselves during a
change of state.

Which change of state is shown ?

A. gas to liquid
B. liquid to gas
C. liquid to solid
D. solid to liquid

100. Equal masses of two different liquids are put

into identical beakers. They are heated from
20 to 30 by heaters of the same power. Liquid
2 takes twice as long to heat as liquid 1.

103. Some water molecules escape from the

surface of a lake.
Which name is given to this process ?
A. boiling
B. convection
C. evaporation
D. radiation

104. The diagram represents gas molecules

Which statement is correct ? contained in a cylinder. The pistion is moved
A. both liquids receive the same amount of slowly downwards and the temperature of the
energy gas stays the same.
B. liquid 1 receives more energy than liquid
2
C. the thermal capacity of liquid 1 is equal
to the thermal capacity of liquid 2
D. the thermal capacity of liquid 1 is less
than the thermal capacity of liquid 2

101. There is a vacuum between the double

walls of a vacuum flask.
Which type of heat transfer are reduced by the
vacuum ? Whys does the pressure of the gas increase ?
A. conduction and convection A. The molecules collide harder with the
B. conduction and radiation walls
C. convection and radiation

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B. The molecules collide more often with

the walls
C. The molecules move more quickly
D. The number of molecules increases.

105. To mark the lower fixed point of a Celsius

scale on a thermometer, the thermometer
should be placed in
A. pure alcohol
B. pure distilled water
C. pure melting ice
D. pure mercury

106. A glass flask full of cool water is placed in a

container of hot water.

110. A knife is being sharpened on a rotating

sharpening-stone. A spark flies off and lands
on the operator’s hand. The spark is very hot ,
very small piece of metal. The operator feels
nothing.
What will happen to the level of water at X as What does this show about the piece of metal
the cool water becomes warmer ? ?
A. it will fall A. it has a high thermal capacity
B. it will rise B. it has a low thermal capacity
C. it will rise then fall C. it is a good conductor of heat
D. it will stay the same D. it is a poor conductor of heat

107. A beaker of water is heated at its base. 111. Which substance is a liquid at a room
Why does the water at the base rise ? temperature of 25 C?
A. It contracts and becomes less dense
B. It contracts and becomes more dense
C. It expands and becomes less dense
D. It expands and becomes more dense

108. A drop of liquid falls on a student’s skin and

quickly evaporates.
What is the effect on the skin and the reason ?
A. the skin cools because the most 112. How does heat from the Sun reach the
energetic molecules escape from the Earth ?
liquid. A. Conduction only
B. the skin cools because the most B. Convection only
energetic molecules remain in the liquid C. Radiation only
C. the skin warms because the most D. Conduction, convection and radiation
energetic molecules escape from the
liquid 113. A gas cylinder is left outside on a sunny day.
D. the skin warms because the most The Sun heats the gas inside the cylinder.
energetic molecules remain in the liquid What happens to the gas molecules ?
A. they collide less often
109. A suspension of pollen grains in water is B. they expand
observed under a microscope. The pollen C. they move closer together
grains are seen to be moving all the time. D. they move more rapidly
Which diagram illustrates this motion ?

IGCSE Physics 16 Namrata David Publications

Thermal Physics
114. Water spilled on the ground on a hot day
evaporates.
Which diagram represents the change in
arrangement of the particles in water as it
evaporates ?
115. A block of ice heated until it has all melted.
The water that is produced is then heated until
it boils.
Which line in the table states what happens to
the temperature of the ice while it is melting ,
and to the temperature of the water while it is
boiling ?
116. A heating element is positioned in a narrow
sealed tube of liquid.
What would be the best place to position the
heating element in order to obtain the best
circulation of the liquid through the tube ?
IGCSE Physics
117. A thermometer with no scale is taped to a
ruler as shown. When placed in steam, the
mercury level rises to 22 cm. When placed in
pure melting ice, the mercury level falls to 2
cm.
Which temperature is shown by the mercury
level in the diagram ?
A. 6 C C. 30C
B. 8 C D. 40 C
118. Which line in the table is correct about
conduction and convection ?
119. The table lists the melting points and the
boiling points of four different substances
A,B,C and D.
Which substance is a gas at 25 C ?
120. The diagram shows four blocks of steel. The
same quantity of heat is given to each block.
Which block shows the greatest rise in
temperature ?
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Thermal Physics
121. A wooden wheel can be strengthened by
putting a tight circle of iron around it.
Which action would make it easier to fit the
circle over the wood ?
A. cooling the iron circle
B. heating the iron circle
C. heating the wooden wheel
D. heating the wooden wheel and cooling
the iron circle
122. Which statement refers to convection ?
A. it does not involve energy transfer
B. it is transfer of heat energy without the
movement of particles
C. it only occurs in liquids or gases
D. it only occurs in solids
123. Spoons made of different materials were
placed in four cups of coffee poured from the
same jug.
Which spoon will be hottest to touch at end X ?
IGCSE Physics
124. A beaker of water is heated at its base.
Why does the water at the base rise ?
A. It contracts and becomes less dense
B. It contracts and becomes more dense
C. It expands and becomes less dense
D. It expands and becomes more dense
125. A drop of liquid falls on a student’s skin and
quickly evaporates.
What is the effect on the skin and the reason ?
A. the skin cools because the most
energetic molecules escape from the
liquid.
B. the skin cools because the most
energetic molecules remain in the liquid
C. the skin warms because the most
energetic molecules escape from the
liquid
D. the skin warms because the most
energetic molecules remain in the liquid
126. A double –glazed window has two
sheets of glass separated by a layer of air.
Thermal energy is conducted through the
layer of the air. The amount of conduction
and convection varies with thickness of the
layer of air, as shown in the graph
Which thickness of air produces the smallest
energy transfer
A. 0.5 cm because there is little
convection
B. 1.0 cm because the total thermal
energy transfer is least
C. 1.5 cm because the total thermal
energy transfer is small and
conduction is low
D. 2.0 cm because there is little
conduction
18 Namrata David Publications