CIE IGCSE Physics

Topic Questions

2.2 Thermal Properties & Temperature

11 mark

A substance is cooled. The graph below shows how its temperature changes over time.

q1-easy-mcq-2-2-thermal-properties-cie-igcse-physics

What is happening in the portion of the graph labelled XY?

  • The gas is cooling.

  • The liquid is freezing.

  • The gas is condensing.

  • The liquid is cooling.

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21 mark

What are the upper and lower fixed points on a Celsius scale thermometer?

 

Upper

Lower

A

The boiling point of saturated salt solution.

The freezing point of salt-water

B

The normal temperature of the human body

The freezing point of salt-water

C

The boiling point of pure water

The freezing point of pure water

D

The boiling point of pure water

Absolute zero

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31 mark

A substance, which is initially in its solid form, is heated at a constant rate.

The graph shows how its temperature changes with time.

q3-easy-mcq-2-2-thermal-properties-cie-igcse-physics

Between which points is the substance partly a liquid and partly a gas?

  • V and W

  • W and X

  • X and Y

  • Y and Z

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41 mark

Which statement best describes a metal experiencing thermal expansion?

  • The size of the metal atoms increases

  • The space between the metal atoms increases

  • The metal atoms change state

  • The metal atoms gain enough energy to overcome the intermolecular forces of attraction holding them in place

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51 mark

Extended

 

A rise in temperature of a substance increases its

  • gravitational potential energy

  • specific heat capacity

  • mass

  • internal energy

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11 mark

Which of the following statements defines the specific heat capacity of a substance?

  • The energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1℃.

  • The energy per ℃ required to raise the temperature of a substance.

  • The increase in length of 1kg of a substance when its temperature is increased by 1℃.

  • The energy required to change 1kg of a substance from a liquid to a gas.

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21 mark

Drinks are often cooled by putting ice cubes into them.

A delicious cocktail is initially at a temperature of 12℃, when a few ice cubes are put into the drink.

q2-hard-mcq-2-2-thermal-properties-cie-igcse-physics

After some time has passed, some of the ice has melted, and the temperature of the cocktail has dropped to 7 .

What is the temperature of the remaining, unmelted ice?

  • 7 ℃

  • 0 ℃

  • 5 ℃

  • 2 ℃

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31 mark

A pan, containing 0.750 kg of water which is initially at 13 ℃ is heated by an electric hob. 35 kJ of thermal energy is put into the water and its temperature rises.

You can assume that all the energy supplied by the hob goes into raising the temperature of the water.

The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/kg ℃.

To the nearest ℃, what is the final temperature of the water?

  • 24 ℃

  • 13 ℃

  • 19 ℃

  • 11 ℃

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41 mark

Two beakers, X and Y, containing different liquids are heated by a student.

Both beakers contain the same mass of liquid, and are heated using the same heater set to the same power.

The graph shows how the temperature of each liquid changes with time.

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What conclusion can be correctly drawn from the graph?

  • X has a higher melting point than Y.

  • Y boils sooner than X.

  • X has a lower specific heat capacity than Y.

  • Y has a higher boiling point than X.

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51 mark

Two metal cylinders, P and Q, are heated using an electric heater. Both of the cylinders receive exactly the same amount of thermal energy.

The temperature of P increases by a smaller amount than the temperature of Q.

What conclusion can be drawn?

  • P is a better thermal conductor.

  • Q is a better thermal conductor.

  • P has a higher thermal capacity.

  • Q has a higher thermal capacity.

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61 mark

A student takes two blocks, block 1 and block 2, of different metals and heats them until the temperature of both has risen by 20℃.

She then leaves both blocks on the desk to cool.

Block 2 has a greater thermal capacity than block 1.

Which of the blocks loses more energy as it cools to room temperature, and which of the blocks required more energy to raise its temperature by 20℃?

 

Lost more energy when cooling

Required more energy to heat up.

A

block 1

block 1

B

block 1

block 2

C

block 2

block 1

D

block 2

block 2

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11 mark

Wooden barrels are often reinforced by putting tight iron rings around them.

q1-medium-mcq-2-2-thermal-properties-cie-igcse-physics

What procedure would make it easier to get the iron ring onto the barrel?

  • Heating the barrel.

  • Cooling the iron ring.

  • Soaking the barrel in water.

  • Heating the iron ring.

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21 mark

In order to calibrate a degrees Celsius thermometer, the lowest fixed point can be found by placing the thermometer in:

  • Melting ice with a large quantity of salt mixed in.

  • Pure distilled water.

  • Pure boiling water.

  • Pure melting ice.

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31 mark

An iron cube is heated by a Bunsen burner.

Which of its properties decreases?

  • Mass

  • Density

  • Volume

  • Internal energy

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41 mark

A National Grid engineer connects an electrical cable between two pylons.

The cable is a bit too tight.

q4-medium-mcq-2-2-thermal-properties-cie-igcse-physics

What could happen to the wire if the weather became very cold, and why?

 

What could happen?

Why?

A

The wire sags low

It expands

B

The wire breaks

It contracts

C

The wire breaks

It becomes brittle

D

The wire’s resistance increases

It contracts

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51 mark

Internal energy is affected by two properties of the particles which make up a substance. 

Identify the two properties.

  • Motion and position

  • Acceleration and mass

  • Specific heat capacity and volume

  • State of matter and potential energy

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