Thermal physics
157 past-paper questions on Thermal physics · examined 2020–2025.
20258 questions
© UCLES 2025 5054/11/O/N/25 [Turn over 14 A student heats a substance in which the particles are in fixed positions and vibrate. After a short period of heating, the particles start to flow past each other, but the forces between the particles remain strong. What has happened to the substance? A It has condensed. B It has evaporated. C It has frozen. D It has melted. 8
14 Air is heated in a sealed container with constant volume. Why does the air pressure increase when the temperature increases? A The air molecules expand. B The air molecules bounce off each other more frequently. C The air molecules bounce off the walls more frequently. D The number of air molecules increases.
15 A student determines the specific heat capacity of a metal by carrying out an experiment. The list shows the apparatus that the student has available. 1 electronic balance 2 ruler 3 thermometer 4 heater operating at a power of 50 W 5 stopwatch 6 ammeter 7 voltmeter Which apparatus does the student use? A 1, 3, 4 and 5 B 1, 3, 6 and 7 C 2, 3, 4 and 6 D 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
15 A student investigates how changing the temperature of a gas affects the volume of the gas. The gas is kept at a constant pressure. Which graph shows the relationship between the temperature and the volume of a sample of gas at constant pressure? volume temperature A volume temperature B volume temperature C volume temperature D
18 Thermal energy passes quickly from hot regions of a metal to cold regions of the metal. Why are metals good conductors of thermal energy? A Electrons in the metal vibrate about fixed points and quickly pass energy from one electron to the next. B Electrons move quickly from ions in hot regions to ions in cold regions. C Protons in the metal are close together and move quickly from hot to cold regions. D Small ions of the metal move quickly from hot to cold regions through spaces in the metal lattice.
© UCLES 2025 5054/11/M/J/25 [Turn over 21 Which description of a dull black surface is correct? A good emitter, good absorber and good reflector of radiation B good emitter, poor absorber and poor reflector of radiation C good emitter, good absorber and poor reflector of radiation D poor emitter, poor absorber and poor reflector of radiation 10
© UCLES 2025 5054/11/O/N/25 27 Which material is an electrical conductor at room temperature? A aluminium B glass C plastic D rubber 13
33 Which component is used in an electric circuit to detect changes in temperature? A B C D
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