DP IB Physics: SL

Topic Questions

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

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8.2 Thermal Energy Transfer

1
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1 mark

In which type of material is conduction the main type of thermal transfer?

  • Gas

  • Liquid

  • Fluid

  • Solid

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2
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1 mark

Which of the following statements about convection is correct?

A.

Convection is the main way heat is transferred through liquids and gases

B.

Convection mainly occurs in metals

C.

Cool fluid rises and warm fluid moves in to take its place

D.

Heated molecules gain energy, become denser and sink

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3
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1 mark

Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum is responsible for thermal radiation?

  • Ultraviolet

  • Microwaves

  • Infrared

  • Visible Light

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4
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1 mark

What is the correct definition for a perfect black body?

  • An object that transmits all of the radiation incident on it and does not reflect any radiation

  • An object that absorbs all of the radiation incident on it and does not reflect or transmit any radiation

  • An object that does not absorb any of the radiation incident on it

  • An object that transmits all of the radiation incident on it

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5
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1 mark

A black body radiation curve shows the intensity and wavelength distribution of any waves emitted from a black body. 

Which statement correctly describes the position of the peak intensity?

  • The lower the wavelength the higher the peak intensity

  • The higher the wavelength the higher the peak intensity

  • The wider the wavelength range, the lower the peak intensity

  • The narrower the wavelength range, the higher the peak intensity

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6
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1 mark

Which relationship represents Wien's Displacement Law?

  • lambda subscript m a x end subscript equals 1 over T

  • lambda subscript m i n end subscript proportional to 1 over T

  • lambda subscript m a x end subscript less or equal than 1 over T

  • lambda subscript m a x end subscript proportional to 1 over T

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7
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1 mark

Which two factors does the power output of a black body depend on? 

  • Mass and volume

  • Surface temperature and radius

  • Density and luminosity

  • Wavelength of radiation and spectral analysis

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8
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1 mark

Which two assumptions are made when calculating the solar constant?

  • 1. The Earth is in an elliptical orbit around the Sun

    2. The Sun's output varies during its 11-year sunspot cycle

  • 1. Radiation from the Sun is incident on the Earth for one second

    2. Radiation from the Sun is incident on one square meter of the Earth

  • 1. Radiation is incident on the Earth, parallel to its surface

    2. The Earth is at its maximum distance from the Sun

  • 1. Radiation is incident perpendicular to the Earth's surface

    2. The Earth is at its mean distance from the Sun

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9
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1 mark

Which diagram shows the absorption spectra for ozone? 

8-2-ib-sl-easy-mcq-9-q

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10
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1 mark

Which equation is used to calculate emissivity?

  • fraction numerator p o w e r space r a d i a t e d space b y space a n space o b j e c t over denominator p o w e r space e m i t t e d space b y space a space b l a c k space b o d y end fraction

  • fraction numerator p o w e r space e m i t t e d space b y space a n space o b j e c t over denominator p o w e r space e m i t t e d space b y space a space b l a c k space b o d y end fraction

  • fraction numerator t o t a l space s c a t t e r e d space p o w e r space f r o m space a n space o b j e c t over denominator t o t a l space i n c i d e n t space p o w e r space f r o m space a space b l a c k space b o d y end fraction

  • fraction numerator p o w e r space a b s o r b e d space b y space a n space o b j e c t over denominator p o w e r space a b s o r b e d space b y space a space b l a c k space b o d y end fraction

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1
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1 mark

The peak wavelength of two lamps are compared. The first lamp has a filament in a vacuum with a temperature of 1200 K under normal working conditions. The second similar lamp is gas-filled and has a filament temperature of 2400 K.

What is an estimate for the ratio of the wavelength at which the maximum intensity of radiation is emitted by the vacuum lamp and the gas-filled lamp?

  • 16:1

  • 2:1

  • 1:8

  • 4:1

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2
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1 mark

A black body has a total power radiated P and a surface area A. The surface area is reduced to one-quarter of and the total power is increased to four times P.

What is the value of the peak wavelength?

  • left parenthesis 1.5 space cross times space 10 to the power of negative 3 end exponent right parenthesis space cross times space fourth root of P over A end root

  • left parenthesis 1.5 space cross times space 10 to the power of negative 3 end exponent right parenthesis space cross times space square root of P over A end root

  • 2 space cross times space fourth root of P over A end root

  • left parenthesis 1.5 space cross times space 10 to the power of negative 3 end exponent right parenthesis space cross times space open parentheses P over A close parentheses to the power of negative 1 fourth end exponent

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3
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1 mark

The radiation emitted from an asteroid is monitored and the following spectrum is obtained. 

8-2-sl-mcq-hard-q3-phy

Which of the following is a sensible estimate for the temperature of the asteroid. 

  • 1500 K

  • 375 over 2 K

  • 4.8 × 10−8 K

  • 16 over 3 K

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4
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1 mark

The sun behaves as an approximate black-body radiator with peak energy radiation occurring at wavelength 51 × 10−8 m and a power of 4 × 1026 W.

What is the correct expression for the radius of the Sun?

  • r space equals space fraction numerator left parenthesis 17 space cross times space 10 to the power of 21 right parenthesis over denominator pi sigma end fraction

  • r space equals space square root of fraction numerator left parenthesis 17 space cross times space 10 to the power of 21 right parenthesis over denominator pi sigma end fraction end root space

  • r = fraction numerator left parenthesis 1 space cross times space 10 to the power of 21 right parenthesis over denominator 17 pi sigma end fraction

  • r = left parenthesis 17 space cross times space 10 to the power of 21 right parenthesis pi sigma

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5
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1 mark

Rigel A in the constellation of Orion is a massive blue variable star with a peak wavelength of 0.25 μm. 

8-2-sl-mcq-hard-q5-phy

Which of the graphs shows the intensity of radiation emitted by Rigel A against the wavelength of that radiation? 

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6
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1 mark

A double-glazed window filled with argon has an area of 3 m2. The outdoor temperature is 8 °C and the indoor temperature 21 °C. 

Glazing Type

U-value/ W m−2 K−1

Single Glazing

4.8

Double Glazing (Air Filled)

2.7

Double Glazing (Argon Filled)

1.7

Triple Glazing (Argon Filled)

1.3

What is the rate of heat loss in watts through the window? 

  • 19.8 W

  • 31.2 W

  • 66.3 W

  • 87.2 W

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7
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1 mark

The diagram shows a simplified model of the energy balance of the Earth. 

8-2-sl-mcq-hard-q8-phy

What is the albedo of the Earth according to this model?

  • 1 third

  • 5 over 14

  • 145 over 212

  • 29 over 42

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8
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1 mark

During a freak weather event, the average intensity of light received on Earth was 5 × 10−5r W m−2. r is the radius of the Sun equal to 7 × 108 m.  The average albedo was 0.8 and the average emissivity was 1 over 8. The light coming from the Sun to the Earth travels through a total area of 1 × 1017 m2

Assume that σ = 6 × 10−8 W m−2 K−4 

What was the average temperature of the Earth during the event? 

  • fourth root of fraction numerator 1 over denominator 21 pi end fraction cross times 10 to the power of negative 12 end exponent end root space K

  • space fourth root of fraction numerator 1 over denominator 42 pi end fraction cross times 10 to the power of 12 end root space K

  • fourth root of fraction numerator 1 over denominator 21 pi end fraction cross times 10 to the power of 12 end root space K

  • fourth root of 1 over 21 cross times 10 to the power of 12 end root space K

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1
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1 mark

Objects with absolute temperature can lose energy through

  1. convection
  2. conduction
  3. radiation

Equipment is tested on Earth for use on the surface of Mars. How will the equipment lose energy in the two locations?

 

Earth

Mars

A.

I and III only     

II and III only

B.

I, II and III

II and III only

C.

I and III only

I, II and III

D.

I, II and III

I, II and III

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2
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1 mark

The average albedo of desert sand is 0.4. What is the fraction numerator power space absorbed space by space desert space sand over denominator power space reflected space by space desert space sand end fraction?

  • 0.4

  • 0.67

  • 1.5

  • 4.0

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3
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1 mark

The black body temperature of Venus is 90% of the black body temperature of Earth.

Which of the following correctly shows the ratio:

 fraction numerator e n e r g y space r a d i a t e d space p e r space s e c o n d space p e r space u n i t space a r e a space o n space V e n u s over denominator e n e r g y space r a d i a t e d space p e r space s e c o n d space p e r space u n i t space a r e a space o n space E a r t h end fraction

  • 0.7

  • 0.9

  • 1.0

  • 1.5

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4
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1 mark

Which factors affect the amount of solar power incident on a given point on the surface of the Earth? 

  1. Weather conditions
  2. Latitude
  3. Position of the Moon in its orbit of the Earth
  4. Position of the Earth in its orbit of the Sun
  • I and IV only

  • I and II only

  • I, II and III

  • I, II and IV

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5
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1 mark

A black body has absolute temperature T and surface area A. The total power radiated by the body is P. What is the value of power if the surface area is reduced to one third of A, and the temperature increased to three times T?

  • P

  • 3P

  • 27P

  • 81P

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6
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1 mark

A graph is plotted to show the variation of intensity I and wavelength of emitted radiation λ. Cool objects are represented by a dashed line, and hotter objects are represented by a solid line.

Which graph correctly shows the relationship between I and λ?

q16_thermal-energy-transfer_ib-sl-physics-mcq

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7
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1 mark

The solar constant is quoted as an average rather than an absolute value. Which statements correctly explain this? 

  1. The Earth follows an elliptical orbit around the Sun
  2. The Earth rotates on an axis which is tilted at 23.5o to the plane of its orbit
  3. The energy output of the Sun varies according to an 11-year cycle
  • I only

  • II and III only

  • I and III only

  • III only

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8
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1 mark

Certain gases, for example carbon dioxide and methane, are categorised as greenhouse gases. This is because they:

  • Transmit incoming radiation from the Sun and then absorb outgoing radiation from the Earth

  • Absorb incoming radiation from the Sun and also absorb outgoing radiation from the Earth

  • Reflect incoming radiation from the Sun

  • Reflect outgoing radiation from the Earth

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9
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1 mark

Some of the energy incident on the surface of the Earth is emitted as infrared radiation. Why does this cause a ‘greenhouse effect’?

  • The radiation becomes trapped in the troposphere

  • The radiation heats the upper atmosphere

  • The radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and is re-radiated in all directions

  • The radiation is absorbed by the upper atmosphere then all re-radiated back to the surface of the Earth

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