E s s e n t i a l P h y s i c s f o r C a m b r i d g e I G C S E ® 2 nd E d i t i o n

Unit 6 Thermal physics

SUMMARY QUESTIONS:
1 (a) The road expands and contracts with temperature variations. This could cause the road to
buckle and crack.
(b) The expansion joints leave space for expansion.
2 (a) (i) 100 °C
(ii) 0 °C
(b) (i) 20 °C
(ii) 30 °C
(iii) about 37 °C
3 (a) (i) It is a solid and its temperature is increasing.
(ii) It is melting and the temperature stays constant until all of the solid is melted.
(iii) It is a liquid and its temperature is increasing.
(b) The melting point shown on the temperature axis at the level of the flat section of graph.
(c) (i) The molecules are vibrating with increasing energy about fixed points.
(ii) The molecules are beginning to break away from fixed positions and starting to move
around each other.
(iii) The molecules are vibrating with increasing average speed and can move around each
other
4 2 000 J/ °C
5 (a) Amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C.
(b) 800 J/kg °C
6 (a) lowest to highest temperature to be measured
(b) extent of change in thermometric property per 1 °C temperature rise
(c) extent of the deviation from a standard thermometer (the larger the deviation, the poorer
the linearity)
(d) Accurate thermometers have high sensitivity and good linearity (or any non-linearity is
accounted for e.g. unequal divisions on a scientific liquid-in-glass thermometer).

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:
1 B 12 °C
2 C 37 °C
3 B good absorber and good emitter
4 D J/kg °C
5 D sensitivity
6 (a) (i) melts
(ii) the best conductor is the one where the wax melts first
(iii) distance from heated end to wax, diameter of rods
(b) good conductor, good insulator, burned

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iGCSE_Physics_answers.indd 8 3/20/15 2:47 PM

 E s s e n t i a l P h y s i c s f o r C a m b r i d g e I G C S E ® 2 nd E d i t i o n

7 (a) expand, density, rises, convection

(b) (i) Two from: gamma, X-rays, ultra-violet, visible light, microwaves, radio waves
(ii) poor radiator of heat
8 (a) (i) Melting point
(ii) liquid, solid
(iii) the molecules are slowing down and beginning to vibrate about fixed points.
(iv) 15 °C (where the graph flattens off around D – no more heat can be transferred to the
room)
(b) Evaporation takes place at the surface, boiling throughout the liquid. Evaporation occurs at
any temperature, boiling only occurs at a specific temperature (boiling point).

© OUP 2015: this may be reproduced for class use solely for the purchaser’s institute

iGCSE_Physics_answers.indd 9 3/20/15 2:47 PM