2017 P2

6.(a) Define EACH of the following terms and state their units:
(i) Heat capacity[2]
Heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to change the temperature of an entire body by one degree K or Centigrade. JK -1

(ii) Specific heat capacity[2]

Heat required to change the temperature of unit mass of a body or substance by one degree J kg-1 K-1

(iii) Specific latent heat[2]

The heat required to change unit mass of a liquid to a gas at the boiling temperature. J kg-1

(b) In an experiment to measure the specific heat capacity of water, a stream of water flows at a steady rate of 5.0 g s -1 over
an electrical heater dissipating 140 W. A temperature rise of 5.0 K is observed. A quantity, L, of the heat supplied is lost to
the environment. On increasing the rate of flow of water to 10.0 g s-1 the same temperature rise is produced with a
dissipation of 250 W. The heat lost to the environment is also L.
(i) Deduce a value for the specific heat capacity of water.[6]

(ii) Suggest ONE reason why the power, when the rate of flow of water is 10.0 g s-1, is NOT twice that needed when the
rate of water is 5.0 g s-1.[1]

Although the heat needed to change the temperature of the 10g/s is twice the heat needed to change the temp of the 5g/s, the heat
lost to the environment is not doubled so the total heat needed for the change is not doubled.

(iii) State ONE advantage of using a continuous flow method for measuring the specific heat capacity of water.[1]
 The calculation is independent of the heat absorbed by the apparatus since during the process when
equilibrium is established, the apparatus does not absorb any more heat.
 The inlet temperature and outlet temperature can be adjusted to be the same so the heat lost to the environment
can remain constant for the same time and thus its effect eliminated by running the experiment twice.
 Since the inlet and outlet temperatures are constant, platinum resistance thermometers can be used to
accurately and sensitively measure these static temperatures.

(iv) Suggest a type of thermometer that can be used in the experiment in Part (b).[1]
Hg in glass or a Platinum resistance thermometer.

Total 15 marks
2015 P2
3. (a) A resistance thermometer and a thermocouple thermometer are both used at the same time to measure the temperature of a
water bath. Explain why the thermometers may record different temperatures even though they are calibrated accurately and are
at equilibrium. [2]
Since the two thermometers use different methods to determine temperature the change in the thermometric property is not linear
with temperature. The change in the thermometric property does not occur by a fixed amount per degree over the entire
temperature range. Sometimes the change per degree is large and in other parts of the interval the change in the thermometric
property is smaller…. Although it is always increasing with temperature.

(b) (i) What is meant by the term 'absolute zero of temperature' ?[1]
 Lowest temperature possible
 Is the temperature that a substance has zero(minimum) internal (heat) energy
 Is the temperature that an ideal gas exerts zero pressure
 Is the temperature that an ideal gas occupies zero volume

(ii) State how the ‘absolute thermodynamic scale of temperature’ differs from other temperature scales.
[1]
It is different because it does not depend on the property of a substance. It depends on the absolute amount of heat energy that a
body contains.

The temperature of a water bath increases from 50.00 °C to 80.00 °C. Determine, in kelvin, and to an appropriate number of
significant figures,
(i) the temperature 50.00 °C [1]

(ii) the change in temperature of the water bath. [1]

(d) An empirical centigrade temperature can be determined and defined in terms of any suitable thermometric property. Select
ONE type of thermometer with a suitable thermometric property and describe briefly the procedure and necessary readings to be
taken in order to use this thermometer to determine a random temperature, θ [5]

(e) The relationship between the resistance, R, of a wire at temperature t/°C as measured by a mercury thermometer, and the
resistance, R0 at 0 °C is

where a = 5.0 x 10-5 °C -2.

(i) Calculate, in terms of R0 the resistance of the wire at 100 °C and at 80 °C as measured by the mercury thermometer.
[2]
(ii) If the resistance of the wire is used as a thermometric property, what is the temperature reading of the resistance thermometer
when the reading on the mercury thermometer is 80°C? [2]

Total 15 marks

2012 P2
6. (a) Describe how a physical property of a substance which varies with temperature may be used for the measurement of
temperature on an empirical centigrade scale.

(ii) Explain how the absolute thermodynamic scale of temperature differs from that described above.

(iii) Mercury expands only a small amount when it is heated. There are many liquids which expand a great deal more. State ONE
reason why mercury is still often used in thermometers. [6]

(b) A resistance thermometer is placed in a bath of liquid at 00 C and its resistance is found to be 3750 . At 1000 C, its resistance
is 215 . The bath is cooled until the resistance is 950 
(i) Determine the new temperature of the bath, as measured using the resistance thermometer.

(ii) The reading taken at the same time on a mercury-in-glass thermometer placed in the bath is 76 0 C, Suggest ONE reason for
the difference between this reading and the value calculated above in b (i).
[3]
(c) Figure 3 shows an electric water heater designed to provide a continuous supply of hot water. Water is flowing at the rate of
0.300 kg min-1, the inlet thermometer registers 20.00 C, the voltmeter reads 120 V and the ammeter reads 10.0 A.
(i) Calculate the power developed by the heater.

(ii) When a steady state is finally reached, what is the reading on the outlet thermometer?

(iii) State ONE reason why it is NOT necessary to lake into account the heal capacity of the apparatus itself.
[6]
 Figure 3
Total 15 marks
2011
3. (a) Define the term 'specific latent heat of fusion' of a substance. [1]

(b) A solid of mass 2.0 kg receives heat at the rate of 1.0 x 105 J per minute. Its temperature, T, (in K) during the first 45 minutes
of the experiment is shown in the graph on the opposite page.
(i) What are the values of the melting point and boiling point of the substance?
Melting point __________ Boiling point __________ [2]

(ii) Calculate the gradient of the two linear regions of the graph labelled P and Q.
[4]

(iii) State, giving your reasoning, whether the specific heat capacity of the liquid is greater or smaller than that for the solid state.
[2]
The specific heat capacity in the liquid state is greater than the solid state. Since the power of the heater is constant, it takes more
heat energy to change the temperature of the liquid when compared with the solid.

(iv) Calculate the specific heat capacity of the substance in the liquid state.
[3]

(v) Calculate the specific latent heat of fusion of the substance.

[3]

Total 15 marks
2009
3. (a) A constant volume gas thermometer was calibrated at the ice point and at the steam point. The thermometer
was then used to measure the temperature of a beaker of hot water. The readings for the height difference, h, between the mercury
level in the closed limb and the open limb were —50.0 mm for ice point, +220 mm for the steam point and +105 mm for the
temperature of the hot water.
Calculate the centigrade temperature of the hot water. [3]
(b) Temperature on the thermodynamic scale may be obtained using a constant volume gas thermometer. The
thermodynamic temperature, T, is given by
T PT
=
T tr P tr
extrapolated to zero pressure. Here, Ttr is the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water and PT and Ptr, are the
pressures of the gas in the thermometer at temperature T and the triple point respectively.
(i) The value of Ttr is chosen to be 273.16 K. Why is this particular number used?
[1]
(ii) The bulb of a constant volume gas thermometer was maintained at the constant temperature T of a boiling liquid, and
then at the triple point of water. Table 2 shows the readings taken for different masses of gas in the thermometer.

TABLE 2

b) Give ONE reason why the values of PT/ Ptr, are NOT constant. [1]
(c) On the grid provided on page 9, plot a graph of PT/ Ptr against Ptr starting the Ptr scale at 0.
[4]
(d) Read off the intercept on the PT/ Ptr axis of your graph. [1]
(e) Using your result in (d), deduce an accurate value of the thermodynamic temperature T.
[2]
(f) Calculate the temperature found in Part (e) on the Celsius scale.[1] Total 15 marks

2008 Original
3. (a) List ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of using a liquid in glass thermometer, a thermocouple and a constant volume
gas thermometer to measure temperature. [6]

(b) Figure 2 shows the setup of the experimental arrangement to determine the boiling point of a liquid. The following apparatus
is available: a constant volume gas thermometer, large beaker, electric heater, ice, distilled water, liquid, ruler and a stirrer.

The boiling point t, of the liquid on the empirical centigrade scale is given by
 ht −h 0
t =100
h100−h0
Where h0 is the height of the mercury column at 0 0C, h100 is the height of the mercury column at 100 0C and ht, the height of the
mercury at t 0C
(i) How would you ensure that the volume of gas in the bulb is held constant?
[1]
(ii) Carefully, explain how readings are taken to determine
(a) h0, the height of the mercury column at 0 0C
(b) h100 the height of the mercury column at 100 0C
(c) ht the height of the mercury column at t 0C
(d) Indicate on the diagram where the height, h, is to be measured
[4]

The following results were obtained:

h0 = 5.0 cm
h100 =20.0 cm
ht = 16.8 cm
(i) Using the above results, determine the boiling point of the liquid. [1]
(ii) Determine the pressure of the gas in the bulb when the liquid is at its boiling point
Density of mercury 13 600 kg m-3
Atmospheric pressure, 76 cm Hg
Acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.81 m s-2
[3]
Total 15 marks
2007 P2
8. (a) (i) State ONE situation in which a constant volume gas thermometer would be used in preference to other types of
thermometers. Give a reason for your choice.
(ii) State, with a reason, the type of thermometer you would use to
a) locate the hottest part of a Bunsen burner flame
b) record the mean temperature of the gases emerging from the exhaust pipe of a car.
(iii) State TWO ways in which the behaviour of a thermistor differs from that of a platinum coil when used as a resistance
thermometer. [8]
(b) The resistance of a thermistor is given by the formula:
R = R0eB/T, where R is in ohms (Ω), T is in kelvins, and Ro and B are constants that can be determined by measuring R at
calibration points such as the ice point and the steam point.
(i) If R = 7360 Ω at the ice point and 153 Ω at the steam point, calculate the values of Ro and B.
(ii) Determine the temperature, in degrees Celsius, when the thermistor resistance is 2200 Ω.
(iii) a) If an empirical temperature scale were used, what temperature would this resistance of 2200 Ω give?
b) Explain why this scale is NOT suitable for determining the value of the temperature from resistance. [12]
[12]
Total 20 marks

2004 P2
3. A teacher asks her student to determine the specific heat capacity of the 2 kg aluminium block shown in Figure 3.

The student uses two heaters and each heater is rated at 100W. The student takes a series of measurements of temperature, , of
the block at time t. The data obtained are recorded in Table 2.

(a) Plot a graph of temperature versus time for the block. [3]
(b) From your graph determine the specific heat capacity of aluminium.

[5]
(c) What is the heat capacity of the block?
[1]
(d) Suggest how the experiment might be improved.

[1]
Total 10 marks

2004 P2
8(c) The graph of Figure 7 refers to an experiment in which a crystalline material is heated at a constant rate. The material melts
at 85°C and the liquid is heated to 110°C. The specific heat capacity of the crystalline state is 430 J kg -1 K-1.

Calculate
(i) the specific latent heat of fusion of the material
(ii) the specific heat capacity of the material in the liquid phase. [5]
Total 20 marks

2003 P1
7. (a)Define the terms 'specific heat capacity' and 'heat capacity'.
Specific heat capacity:
[1]
Heat capacity:
[1]
(b) (i) A mass of 0.45 kg of water is heated by an immersion heater in a container of heat capacity 90 J K- 1. The water is heated
for 9 minutes and the temperature rises from 25°C to 79 °C. Find the power of the heater. You may consider heat losses
negligible.

[6]
(ii) Use the kinetic theory of matter to outline what happens to the thermal energy supplied by the immersion heater in (b) (i)
above.

[2]
Total 10 marks
2003 P2
3. The graph on page 9 shows the variation of temperature with time for 1.1 kg of water heated in a kettle.
(a) Explain why the graph for the first 275 s is NOT a straight line.

[2]
(b) The power of the heating element in the kettle is 1.6 kW. If the heat losses are ignored, what value would the data give for the
specific heat capacity of water.

[3]
(c) The accepted value for the specific heat capacity of water is 4 200Jkg-1 K-1. Suggest TWO ways of improving the accuracy of
the value determined in (b) above.

[2]
(d) Describe how the specific latent heat of vaporization could be determined using this same apparatus.
[3]
Total 10 marks