Page 1 of 17

1 A student investigates the cooling of water. The apparatus used is shown in Fig. 2.1.

thermometer

500 stop-clock
250
400 200
300 150
200 500 cm3 beaker 100 250 cm3 beaker 00:00
100 50

Fig. 2.1

(a) The student:

• pours 200 cm3 of hot water into the 500 cm3 beaker
• places the thermometer in the water
• stirs the water
• measures the initial temperature of the water
• uses the clock to find the time taken for the water to cool by 5.0 °C and by 10.0 °C
• repeats the experiment three times.

(i) Explain why the water is stirred before taking a temperature reading.

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

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

(ii) The student uses 200 cm3 of hot water in the same beaker in each test.

State one other experimental variable that the student keeps constant to make a fair
comparison of the three sets of results.

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

(b) Table 2.1 shows the results obtained by the student.

Table 2.1

temperature average
time / s
decrease / °C time / s
trial 1 trial 2 trial 3
5.0 82 84 82
10.0 173 184 185 181
 Page 2 of 17

(i) Complete Table 2.1 by calculating the average time taken for the water to cool by 5.0 °C.

Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

[2]

(ii) Suggest one reason why the time taken for the water to cool by 10.0 °C is not double the
time taken for the water to cool by 5.0 °C.

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

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

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

(c) The student repeats the experiment using the 250 cm3 beaker. All other experimental variables
remain the same.

Table 2.2 shows the average times taken for the 250 cm3 beaker to cool by 5.0 °C and by
10.0 °C.

Table 2.2

temperature average
decrease / °C time / s
5.0 110
10.0 250

(i) Describe the difference in the cooling of the water in the two beakers.

Refer to the results recorded in Table 2.1 and Table 2.2 in your answer.

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

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

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

(ii) Suggest a reason for the difference.

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

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

[Total: 7]
 Page 3 of 17

2 Fig. 5.1 shows a cross‑section of the inside of a vacuum flask containing a cold liquid. The walls of
the vacuum flask are made of glass.

(a) The vacuum flask is being used to keep a liquid

stopper cool on a hot day.

Explain how the labelled features of the vacuum

flask keep the liquid cool by reducing thermal
energy transfer. Include the names of the
processes involved.

silvered
surfaces
...............................................................................

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

vacuum ...............................................................................

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

glass ...............................................................................

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

Fig. 5.1
...............................................................................

.................................................................... [5]

(b) Suggest a suitable material for the stopper.

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

[Total: 6]
 3 Page 4 of 17

A student is investigating the rate of cooling of water under different conditions. A greater rate of
cooling occurs if there is a greater change in the temperature during the same period of time.
Fig. 3.1 shows some of the apparatus.

thermometer

lid
clamp stand

hot water
beaker bench

Fig. 3.1

(a) The thermometer in Fig. 3.2 shows the room temperature θR at the beginning of the
experiment. Record θR.

–10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 °C

Fig. 3.2

θR = ........................................................ [1]

(b) The student pours 200 cm3 of hot water into the beaker.

She records the temperature θ of the hot water at time t = 0. She immediately starts a
stopclock.

She continues recording the time and the temperature readings every 30 s. The readings are
shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1 beaker Table 3.2 can

t/ θ/ t/ θ/
0 94 0 93
30 93 30 91
60 92 60 90
90 91 90 89
120 90 120 88
150 89 150 87
 Page 5 of 17

The student repeats the procedure using a metal can, painted matt black, in place of the
beaker.

The readings are shown in Table 3.2.

(i) Complete the column headings in Table 3.1 and in Table 3.2. [1]

(ii) Look carefully at the readings in Table 3.1 and in Table 3.2.

Tick the box to show your conclusion from the readings.

The water in the beaker has a greater rate of cooling than the water in the can.

The water in the beaker has a smaller rate of cooling than the water in the can.

There is no significant difference between the rates of cooling of the water in

the beaker and the can.
[1]

(iii) Justify your conclusion by reference to the readings.

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

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

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(c) A student in another school carries out the experiment and reports that the rate of cooling of
the water in the can is different from the rate of cooling of the water in the beaker. He plans a
change to the experiment to find out whether this difference in the rates of cooling is caused
by

• the matt black surface of the can being a better radiator of thermal energy than the shiny
surface of the beaker

• the metal of the can being a better conductor of thermal energy than the material of the
beaker.

(i) Suggest two suitable changes to the apparatus that the student could make.

1. .......................................................................................................................................

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

2. .......................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]
 Page 6 of 17

(ii) Suggest two variables that should be controlled in order to make the experiment a fair
test.

1. .......................................................................................................................................

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

2. .......................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(d) State one precaution that you would take in order to record accurate temperature readings.

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

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

[Total: 10]
 Page 7 of 17

6 A student was asked to carry out an experiment to compare the insulating properties of
cotton wool, cardboard and polystyrene. The apparatus provided was hot water, a
thermometer, a stopclock and a copper can with a lid, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

thermometer

copper can lid

water

insulation

Fig. 1.1

The student wrapped one of the insulators around the can, poured hot water into the can,
and then took temperature and time readings as the water cooled. This was then repeated
for each insulator. The graph in Fig. 5.2 shows how the student displayed his readings.

80
temperature / °C polystyrene
60

40

cotton wool
20
cardboard
0 time / min
0 5 10 15

(a) (i) Using the information on the graph, which material appears to be the best insulator?
..................................................................................................................................

(ii) Justify your answer by referring to the information on the graph.

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

.................................................................................................................................. [2]
(b) In this experiment, it is important to control the variables. Suggest three variables that
the student should keep constant for this experiment.

1. .....................................................................................................................................

2. .....................................................................................................................................

3. ..................................................................................................................................... [3]
Total: [5]
 Page 8 of 17

7 The IGCSE class carries out an experiment to investigate the effect of insulation on the rate
of cooling of hot water. The apparatus is shown in Fig.22.1.

Fig. 22.1

thermometer thermometer

insulation

water water

bench
beaker A beaker B

The students each have two glass beakers A and B. Beaker B is insulated. They also have
a supply of hot water.

A student pours hot water into beaker A until it is approximately two thirds full and then
measures the temperature
of the hot water. He records this temperature in the table at
time t = 0 s. He then starts a stopwatch and records the temperature of the water at 30 s
intervals for a total of four minutes.

He repeats the experiment using beaker B. All the readings are shown in the tables below.
beaker A beaker B

t/
/ t/
/

0 80 0 80

30 67 30 69

60 59 60 62

90 54 90 57

120 51 120 53

150 48 150 50

180 47 180 48

210 46 210 47

240 45 240 46

(a) Complete the column headings in the tables. [1]

 Page 9 of 17

(b) Use the readings for beaker A to plot a graph of temperature
(y-axis) against
time t (x-axis). Start the temperature scale at 40 °C. Draw the best-fit curve. [4]

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280
t/s

(c) Use the readings for beaker B to plot another curve on the same graph axes that you
used in part (b). [2]

(d) The experiment you have just done was designed to investigate the effect of insulation
on the rate of cooling. Suggest two improvements that could be made to the design of
the experiment.

1. ......................................................................................................................................

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

2. ......................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................... [2]
 Page 10 of 17

8 A student carries out an experiment to compare how quickly thermal energy is conducted
along rods made from different metals. Each rod is heated at one end with a Bunsen burner flame.

Each rod carries a marker held on the rod with a little wax. When the wax melts, the marker falls.

wax

rod marker

heat
tripod

bench

Fig. 17.1

(a) One other piece of equipment is required to compare how quickly thermal energy is conducted.
Name this piece of equipment.

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

(b) Suggest three possible variables that the student should keep constant in order to make a
fair comparison between the different metals.

1. ...............................................................................................................................................

2. ...............................................................................................................................................

3. ...............................................................................................................................................
[3]

(c) Another student suggests that it would be helpful to measure the temperatures at both ends
of the rod. He suggests using a liquid-in-glass thermometer, normally used for measuring the
temperature of hot water.

Suggest two reasons why a liquid-in-glass thermometer is not suitable.

1. ...............................................................................................................................................

2. ...............................................................................................................................................
[2]

[Total: 6]
 Page 11 of 17

9 A student compares the conduction of heat through different metals.

Fig. 43.1 shows the apparatus used.

hot water
metal rod

metal
box

Fig. 43.1 wax pea

Four rods of different metals each have one end fixed through a cork into a metal box. The metal
box contains hot water. Each rod has a pea attached to it by wax.

(a) Heat from the hot water is conducted to the end of each rod.
Describe what happens to the wax and to the pea on one of the rods.

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

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

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

(b) State two factors that should be the same for all the rods in this experiment.

1. ...............................................................................................................................................

2. ............................................................................................................................................... [2]

(c) State how the experiment shows which of the metals is the best conductor of heat.

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

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

(d) The student is asked to suggest an improvement to the experiment.

He suggests placing several peas along each rod, as shown in Fig. 3.2.

hot
water

Fig. 43.2

Explain how this gives a better comparison of the conduction of heat through the different metals.
...................................................................................................................................................

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

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]
 Page 12 of 17

10 Three horizontal rods are placed with one end just above a Bunsen flame. The other end of
each rod is coated with wax, as shown in Fig. 48.1.

wax copper
brass
wax
glass
wax

Fig. 48.1

(a) Describe how you would use the apparatus to discover which rod is the best conductor
of heat.

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

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

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

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

.................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Two metal teapots are identical except that one is black on the outside and the other is
white on the outside, as shown in Fig. 48.2.
Fig. 48.2

The teapots each contain the

same amount of hot water. State
and explain which teapot will cool
down more quickly.

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

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

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

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

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

.................................................................................................................................... [3]
 Page 13 of 17

11 A teacher demonstrates convection in water to a class.

The teacher fills a large beaker with cold water, as shown in Fig. 50.1a, and leaves it to stand
for 10 minutes. He then places a purple crystal at the bottom of the beaker. The crystal starts to
dissolve and the water around the crystal turns purple.
Gentle heating is applied to the beaker directly underneath the crystal, as shown in Fig. 50.1b.

large
beaker

water

purple
crystal
gentle Fig. 50.1b
Fig. 50.1a
heating

(a) (i) Suggest a reason why the teacher uses a large beaker.

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

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

(ii) Explain why the teacher leaves the beaker of water to stand for 10 minutes before placing
the crystal at the bottom.

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

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

(iii) Explain why the water is heated gently.

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

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

(b) On Fig. 50.1b, draw the initial movement of the water as it is heated gently . [2]

(c) The teacher repeats the demonstration five minutes later.

Suggest why it is better to use another beaker of water than to reuse the same beaker and
water.

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

...............................................................................................................................................[1]
 Page 14 of 17

12 A group of students measures the speed of a wave along a slinky spring.

A teacher and a student hold the ends of a slinky spring stretched along a bench, as shown
in Fig. 10.1.

spring

bench

five metre rules

Fig. 10.1

The teacher moves one end of the spring to make a wave pulse travel along the spring.
Five metre rules are placed end-to-end alongside the spring.
Five students with stopwatches stand together near the centre of the spring to measure the
time t taken by the wave pulse to travel the distance of 5.0 m.

(a) The five students record the following values for t, measured in seconds.

(i) Find the average time tav for the wave to travel 5.0 m along the spring.

tav = ................................................ [1]

(ii) Calculate the average speed vav of the wave pulse along the spring.
Give your answer to a suitable number of significant figures.

vav = ................................................ [2]

 Page 15 of 17

(b)
b) ( Explain why, in practice, the position of the students and the metre rules causes a
parallax error.

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

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

(ii) Explain why this parallax error causes the measured values of t to be too small.

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

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

(iii) Explain one other reason why the times recorded by the students are not all exactly
the same.

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

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

(iv) Describe how the students could measure the time t more accurately.

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

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

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

............................................................................................................................ [2]

(c) One student suggests that the speed of a slower wave pulse can be measured more
accurately.
Suggest a method of making a wave pulse travel more slowly along the spring.

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

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

.................................................................................................................................... [1]
 Page 16 of 17

13 Fig. 11.1 shows an experiment to measure the speed of sound in air.

students
teacher

Fig. 11.1

The teacher has a starting pistol that produces a loud bang and a puff of smoke when the trigger is
pulled. The students use stopwatches to time the interval between seeing the smoke and hearing
the bang.

The teacher stands 100 m away from the students and fires the starting pistol.

(a) Suggest a method of measuring the distance of 100 m from the teacher to the students.

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

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

(b) Explain why it is important that the starting pistol produces a puff of smoke at the same time
as the bang.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [1]
 Page 17 of 17

(c) The teacher chooses an open area, well away from any buildings. Explain why.

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

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

(d) Only eight students manage to obtain a suitable reading for the time interval.

Suggest two reasons why the other students did not.

1. ...............................................................................................................................................

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

2. ...............................................................................................................................................

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

(e) A different group of students does the experiment on a windy day. The wind is blowing from
behind the teacher towards the students.

What will be the effect of the wind on their value for the speed of sound?

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

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