1 UNIT 2- THERMAL PHYSICS

PAPER 02 ( MCQ )

1 Which row identifies the fixed points on the Celsius scale?

lower fixed point upper fixed point

A boiling point of mercury melting point of pure ice

B boiling point of pure water melting point of pure ice
C melting point of mercury boiling point of pure water
D melting point of pure ice boiling point of pure water

[1]

[Total: 1]

2 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]

3 The temperature of a bridge rises from 5 °C on a cold night to 25 °C at midday.

What happens to the bridge?

A It becomes heavier.
B It becomes more dense.
C Its length increases.
D Its mass increases.
[1]

[Total: 1]
 2

4 A solid substance is heated at a constant rate. The solid changes into a liquid and then into a gas.

The graph shows how the temperature of the substance changes.

700
temperature
/ °C
600

500

400

300

200

100

0
0 time

What is the melting point and what is the boiling point of the substance?

melting boiling
point / °C point / °C

A 200 300
B 200 500
C 300 500
D 300 700

[1]

[Total: 1]
 3

5 A glass of water is taken out of a refrigerator. Several ice cubes are put into the glass of water.
The glass is then left in the room for several hours.

The graph shows how the temperature of the water in the glass varies from the time it is taken
out of the refrigerator.

temperature

0 time

What does the temperature marked X represent?

A boiling point of water

B melting point of ice
C room temperature
D temperature inside refrigerator
[1]

[Total: 1]

6 A student blows air through a liquid using a straw. This causes the liquid to evaporate quickly and
therefore to cool.

Which statement explains why the remaining liquid cools?

A Slower-moving molecules are carried away by the air bubbles.

B The air molecules conduct heat from the liquid.
C The air sets up convection currents in the liquid.
D The molecules with most energy leave the liquid.
[1]

[Total: 1]

7 Water of mass 100 g at a temperature of 100 °C is converted into steam at 100 °C. The specific
latent heat of vaporisation of water is 2300 J / g.

How much thermal energy is absorbed by the water?

A 23 J B 230 J C 230 000 J D 23 000 000 J

[1]
 4

[Total: 1]

8 Gas molecules striking a container wall cause a pressure to be exerted on the wall.

Which statement explains this?

A When a molecule rebounds there must be a change in its energy.

B When a molecule rebounds there must be a change in its momentum.
C When a molecule rebounds there must be a change in its speed.
D When a molecule rebounds there must be a change in its temperature.
[1]

[Total: 1]

9 The diagrams show four open dishes. Each dish contains water at the same temperature.

The dishes are different shapes and a draught blows over two of them.

From which container does the water evaporate at the greatest rate?

A B C D
draught

draught

no draught no draught
[1]

[Total: 1]
 5

10 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]

11 When a thermometer is calibrated, the fixed points are marked.

What are fixed points?

A all the marks on the temperature scale which cannot be removed

B all the marks of the temperature scale
C the lowest and highest temperatures shown on the thermometer
D two temperatures of known value which are easily reproduced
[1]

[Total: 1]
 6

12 Ice is trapped by a piece of wire gauze at the bottom of a tube containing water. The water at the
top of the tube boils before the ice at the bottom of the tube melts.

water

wire gauze
gentle
heating

ice

Why does this happen?

A Convection currents are circulating throughout the water.

B Ice is a poor emitter of thermal energy.
C Water is a poor conductor of thermal energy.
D Wire gauze is a good conductor of thermal energy.
[1]

[Total: 1]

13 The diagram shows the gap between a hot surface and a cold surface. The gap can contain air,
solid iron, a vacuum or liquid water.

cold

gap

hot

Which row shows whether heat can be transferred between the surfaces by conduction and
convection?

conduction convection

A air (gas) yes no

B iron (solid) yes no
C vacuum no yes
D water (liquid) yes no

[1]

[Total: 1]
 7

14 Four objects, made of the same material and having the same mass, are at the same temperature.
The objects have different surfaces and different surface areas.

Which object emits infra-red radiation at the greatest rate?

surface surface area

A dull large
B dull small
C shiny large
D shiny small

[1]

[Total: 1]

15 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]

16 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]
 8

17 A model thermometer consists of a flask of coloured water and a stopper with a glass tube
passing through it, as shown.

glass tube
temperature scale

stopper

flask coloured water

The model thermometer can be changed in one of two ways.

• The flask can be replaced with a larger one full of coloured water.
• The glass tube can be replaced with one with a larger internal diameter.

Which statement is correct?

A Only using a larger flask increases the sensitivity.

B Only using a wider tube increases the sensitivity.
C Using a larger flask increases the sensitivity and using a wider tube increases the sensitivity.
D Neither using a larger flask nor using a wider tube increases the sensitivity.
[1]

[Total: 1]
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18 A cylinder of constant volume contains a fixed mass of gas. The gas is cooled.

What happens to the pressure of the gas and what happens to the kinetic energy of the gas
molecules?

kinetic energy
pressure of gas
of molecules

A decreases decreases
B decreases increases
C increases decreases
D increases increases

[1]

[Total: 1]

19 A bimetallic strip is made from two metals, brass and invar, stuck together. A student clamps the
bimetallic strip, as shown in the figure, and heats the end.

clamp invar

brass
clamp stand
heat

When the bimetallic strip is heated, the brass expands more than the invar. The bimetallic strip
bends.

Suggest one reason why, in practice, a thermometer using this bimetallic strip would be difficult to
use.

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]
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20 A bimetallic strip is made from two metals, brass and invar, stuck together. A student clamps the
bimetallic strip, as shown in the figure, and heats the end.

clamp invar

brass
clamp stand
heat

When the bimetallic strip is heated, the brass expands more than the invar. The bimetallic strip
bends.

On the figure, sketch the position of the strip after it has been heated. [1]

[Total: 1]
 11

21 There are three states of matter.

Draw three lines, each line connecting a state of matter to the diagram representing the arrangement
of the particles in that state of matter.

state of matter diagram

solid

liquid

gas

[1]

[Total: 1]
 12

22 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]

23 A sample of a solid is heated for 12 minutes and its temperature noted every minute.

The results are shown in the table.

time / min 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

temperature / °C 11.5 16.1 22.1 31.0 31.1 31.1 31.1 31.3 45.0 65.2 66.2 66.3 66.3

How should the sample be described at the end of the 12 minutes?

A all solid
B in the process of melting
C all liquid
D in the process of boiling
[1]

[Total: 1]
 13

24 Hot liquid in a vacuum flask cools extremely slowly. This is because some methods of heat
transfer do not take place in a vacuum.

Which methods do not take place in a vacuum?

A conduction and convection only

B conduction and radiation only
C convection and radiation only
D conduction, convection and radiation
[1]

[Total: 1]

25 Food is kept in a loosely-packed cool-box which uses two ice packs to keep it cool.

Where should the ice packs be placed to keep all the food as cool as possible?

A both at the bottom of the box

B both at the top of the box
C one at the front and one at the back of the box
D one on the left and one on the right of the box
[1]

[Total: 1]
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26 A student carries out an experiment to find the melting point of wax. The graph shows how the
temperature of the wax changes as it changes from liquid to solid.

X
temperature

Y
melting point
of wax Z

time

Which statement is correct?

A At X the temperature drops more slowly than at Z.

B At Y all the wax is solid.
C At Y thermal energy is being given out by the wax.
D At Z the wax molecules are far apart.
[1]

[Total: 1]

27 The diagram shows a block of ice placed in a warm room.

At which point is the temperature the lowest?

A
B

clamp C
ice

table D

[1]

[Total: 1]
 15

28 A teacher demonstrates convection currents using a lighted candle in a box with two chimneys.
She holds a smoking taper at point P.

In which direction does the convection current cause the smoke to move?

P
A C

chimney chimney D

[1]

[Total: 1]
 16

29 A beaker containing ice and a thermometer is left in a warm room for 15 minutes.

There is no liquid water in the beaker until 5 minutes have passed. After 15 minutes some ice is
still visible.

ice ice

water

start of after after

experiment 5 minutes 15 minutes

Which graph shows how the thermometer reading changes?

A B

temperature temperature
/ °C / °C

0 0

0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
time / min time / min

C D

temperature temperature
/ °C / °C

0 0

0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
time / min time / min
[1]

[Total: 1]
 17

30 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.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

31 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.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]
 18

32 A student has a beaker of liquid as shown in the figure.

beaker
liquid

The student warms the beaker and liquid on an electric heater as shown in the figure below.

electric
heater

State the name of the process by which thermal energy is transferred through the glass of the
beaker.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]
 19

33 The volume of a gas in a sealed syringe is increased. The temperature of the gas does not change.

before change after change

After this change is made, what has happened to the gas molecules in the syringe?

A They move more quickly.

B They move more slowly.
C They hit the syringe walls less often.
D They hit the syringe walls more often.
[1]

[Total: 1]

34 Some liquid is poured into a metal dish on a wooden table. The dish, the liquid, the table and the
air around the dish are all at the same temperature.

liquid
metal dish

wooden table

The temperature of the liquid now starts to decrease.

What could cause this temperature decrease?

A convection currents in the liquid

B conduction of heat through the metal dish
C evaporation of the liquid
D heat radiation from the liquid
[1]
 20

[Total: 1]

35 The temperature of some water is reduced to –10 °C.

In which state is the water at this

temperature?............................................................ [1]

[Total: 1]

36 As part of his meal, a workman has a cup containing a hot drink.

In order to keep the drink hot whilst he eats the rest of his meal, he covers the cup, as shown in
the figure.

Suggest one other way that the workman can help to keep the drink hot while he eats the rest of
his meal.

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

37 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]
 21

38 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

On the figure, draw an arrow to show where the end of the liquid thread might be seen when the
temperature being measured is −15°C.

[1]

[Total: 1]

39 The diagram shows a refrigerator.

The cooling unit is placed at the top. The cooling unit cools the air near it.

cooling unit

What happens to the density of the air as it cools and how does it move?

density of the air movement of the air

A decreases moves down

B decreases stays at the top
C increases moves down
D increases stays at the top

[1]

[Total: 1]
 22

40 After a sheep has its wool cut off, it is harder for it to stay warm when the air temperature falls.

How does the wool help the sheep to stay warm?

A Air can circulate between the wool fibres and heat up the skin by convection.
B Air trapped by the wool fibres reduces heat losses from the skin by convection.
C The wool fibres are curly so it takes longer for heat to be conducted away from the skin.
D The wool fibres conduct heat to the skin from the air outside.
[1]

[Total: 1]
 1

1 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]

2 When water evaporates, some molecules escape.

Which molecules escape?

A the molecules at the bottom of the liquid 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
[1]

[Total: 1]

3 Brownian motion is observed by looking at smoke particles through a microscope.

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
[1]

[Total: 1]
 2

4 Viewed through a microscope, very small particles can be seen moving with Brownian motion.

Which line in the table is correct?

type of motion particles are

of particles suspended in

A vibration a liquid or a gas

B vibration a solid, a liquid or a gas
C random a liquid or a gas
D random a solid, a liquid or a gas

[1]

[Total: 1]

5 Driving a car raises the temperature of the tyres.

This causes 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 speed of the air molecules increases.
[1]

[Total: 1]
 3

6 The diagram shows a heater used to heat a tank of cold water.

water

lagging

tank

heater

What is the main process by which heat moves through the water?

A conduction
B convection
C evaporation
D radiation
[1]

[Total: 1]

7 When a mercury thermometer is placed in ice-cold water the level of the mercury in the thermometer’s
capillary tube becomes lower.

Why is this?

A The mercury atoms get closer together.

B The mercury atoms get smaller.
C The mercury atoms start to vibrate.
D The mercury atoms stop moving.
[1]

[Total: 1]
 4

8 The size of a balloon increases if the pressure inside it increases.

The balloon gets bigger when it is left in the heat from the Sun.

cool balloon hot balloon

Why does this happen?

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.
[1]

[Total: 1]