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Past Paper Questions - Thermal Physics

Use the kinetic theory of matter to explain why melting


requires energy but there is no change in temperature.
- (on melting,) bonds between molecules are broken/weakened

- or molecules further apart/are able to slide over one another

- kinetic energy unchanged so no temperature change

- potential energy increased/changed so energy required

Define specific latent heat of fusion.
- thermal energy/heat required to convert unit mass of solid to
liquid

- with no change in temperature / at its normal boiling point

State what is meant by internal energy of a system


The sum of potential and kinetic energy of atoms due to random
distribution

State and explain qualitatively the change, if any, in the


internal energy of
1) a lump of ice at 0C melts to form liquid water at 0C
As lattice structure is broken molecules are reduced and no change in
kinetic energy. Potential energy increases therefore, internal energy
increases.

2) A cylinder containing gas at constant volume is in


sunlight so that its temperature rises from 25-35C
Molecules move faster, <c2> is increasing or kinetic energy
increases with temperature

There is no change in potential energy and kinetic energy
increases, therefore internal energy increases

Two metal spheres are in thermal equilibrium


1)State what is meant by thermal equilibrium
- Temperature of spheres is the same, no net transfer of energy
between the spheres

2) The water flows into the tube at a temperature of 18C.


When the power of the heater is 3.8KW, the temperature
of the water at the outlet is 42C.The specific of water is
4.2Jg-1K-1.
i) Calculate the flow rate, in gs-1, of water through the tube
Power = m x c x change in temp (where m is mass per second)

3800 = m x 4.2 x (42-18)

m = 38 gs-1

1

Past Paper Questions - Thermal Physics

ii) State and explain whether your answer in (i) is likely to


be an overestimate or an underestimate o the flow rate
- Some thermal energy is lost to the surroundings, so rate is an
overestimate.

The resistance of a thermistor at 0 C is 3840 . At 100 C


the resistance is 190 . When the thermistor is placed in
water at a particular constant temperature, its resistance
is 2300 .
a) i) Assuming that the resistance of the thermistor varies
linearly with temperature, calculate the temperature of
the water.
- 1 degC corresponds to(3840190)/100

- for resistance 2300 , temperature is 100 (2300 3840) / (190
3840) temperature is 42C

(ii) The temperature of the water, as measured on the


thermodynamic scale of temperature, is 286K.
By reference to what is meant by the thermodynamic scale
of temperature, comment on your answer in (i).
either 286K13C or 42C315K

thermodynamic scale does not depend on the property of a substance

so change in resistance (of thermistor) with temperature is non-linear

(b) A polystyrene cup contains a mass of 95 g of water at


28 C.
heat gained by ice in melting = 0.012 3.3 105 J C1 = 3960 J

heat lost by water=0.0954.2103(28)
3960+(0.0124.2103)=0.0954.2103(28)

=16C

Use the first law of thermodynamics to explain why the


specific latent heat of vaporisation is grater than the
specific latent heat of fusion for a particular substance
When evaporating there is a greater change in the separation of the
atoms and a greater change in volume.

The electrical resistance of a thermistor is to be used to


measure temperatures in the range 12C to 24C. Fig. 3.1
shows the variation with temperature, measured in
degrees Celsius, of the resistance of the thermistor.

Past Paper Questions - Thermal Physics

a) State and explain the feature of fig. 3.1 which shows


that the thermometer has a sensitivity that varies with
temperature.

- The gradient of the graph is a measure of the sensitivity, the


gradient varies with temperature.

b) At one particular temperature, the resistance of the


thermistor is 2040 +- 20 ohms. Determine this
temperature, in kelvin, to an appropriate number of
decimal places.
- 204020 corresponds to 15.00.2C

- T / K = T / C + 273.15

- temperature is 288.2K

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