19 Thermal Physics

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Thermal physics

1 How much thermal energy must be removed from 5 kg of water at 0 °C to

turn it into ice? What happens to the energy of the particles as the water
changes state?

(2 marks)

2 A piece of aluminium of mass 0.20 kg is heated to a steady temperature θ and is then quickly
and carefully transferred to a copper can of mass 0.21 kg containing 0.22 kg of water. The
temperature of the water rises from 16 °C to 21 °C. Calculate the temperature θ.

(3 marks)

3 A coffee machine passes steam at 100 °C into 0.18 kg of cold coffee to warm it. Assuming the
specific heat capacity of coffee is the same as that of water, what mass of steam must be
supplied if the temperature of the coffee is raised from 14 °C to 85 °C.

(3 marks)

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Examination style question

4 3 kg of molten lead (melting point 600 K) is allowed to cool down until it has solidified. The
temperature of the lead falls from 605 K to 600 K in 10 s, remains constant at 600 K for 300 s,
and then falls to 595 K in a further 8.4 s. Assume that the rate of loss of energy is constant, and
the specific heat capacity of solid lead is 140 J kg–1 K–1.
Calculate:
a the rate of loss of energy from the lead

(2 marks)

b the specific latent heat of fusion of the lead

(2 marks)

c the specific heat capacity of liquid lead.

(2 marks)

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Answers
5 1 670 000 J (2 marks)
6 49 °C (3 marks)
7 0.02375 kg (3 marks)
8 a 250 J s−1 b 25 000 J kg−1 c 167 J kg−1 K−1 (6 marks)

Worked solutions
1 How much thermal energy must be removed from 5 kg of water at 0 °C to turn it
into ice? What is happening to the energy of the particles as the water changes
state?
m  5 kg l  334 000 J kg−1
Q  ml
 5 × 334 000
 1 670 000 J (1 700 000 J to two significant figures) (1 mark)
Particles are moving closer together and losing potential energy. (1 mark)
(2 marks)
2 A piece of aluminium of mass 0.20 kg is heated to a steady temperature θ and is
then quickly and carefully transferred to a copper can of mass 0.21 kg containing
0.22 kg of water. The temperature of the water rises from 16 °C to 21 °C.
Calculate the temperature θ.
mAl  0.2 kg mw  0.22 kg mc  0.21 kg
θ3  ? θ2  21 °C θ3  16 °C
cw  4200 J kg−1 K−1 cc  400 J kg−1 K−1 cAl  900 J kg−1 K−1
Heat supplied by aluminium  Heat taken in by water  Heat taken in by can (1
mark)
mAl × cAl × (θ3 – θ2)  mw × cw  (θ2 – θ1)  mc × cc × (θ2 – θ1)
0.20 × 900 × (θ3 – 21)  0.22 × 4200 × (21 – 16)  0.21 × 400 × (21 – 16)(1
mark)
180 × θ3 – 3780  4620  420
180 × θ3  4620  420  3780
 8820
8820
θ3  180
 49 °C (1 mark)
(3 marks)
3 A coffee machine passes steam at 100 °C into 0.18 kg of cold coffee to warm it.
Assuming the specific heat capacity of coffee is the same as that of water, what
mass of steam must be supplied if the temperature of the coffee is raised from
14 °C to 85 °C.
ms  ? mc  0.18 kg cc  4200 J kg−1 K−1

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θ2  85 °C θ3  14 °C l  2 260 000 J kg−1

Heat given out by steam  Heat taken in by coffee (1 mark)
ms l  mc × cc × (θ2 – θ1) (1 mark)
ms × 2 260 000  0.18 × 4200 × (85 – 14)

ms 
 0.02375 kg (0.024 kg to two significant figures) (1 mark)
(3 marks)

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Examination style question

4 3 kg of molten lead (melting point 600 K) is allowed to cool down until it has
solidified. The temperature of the lead falls from 605 K to 600 K in 10 s, remains
constant at 600 K for 300 s, and then falls to 595 K in a further 8.4 s. Assume that
the rate of loss of energy remains constant, and that the specific heat capacity of
solid lead is 140 J kg−1 K −1.
Calculate:
a the rate of loss of energy from the lead
mL  3 kg c  140 J kg−1 K −1
Energy loss as solid cools from 600 K to 595 K  mL × c × ∆θ
 3 × 140 × 5
 2100 J (1 mark)
Takes place in 8.4 s
2100
Rate of loss of heat  8. 4
 250 J s−1 (1 mark)
(2 marks)
b the specific latent heat of fusion of the lead
Note: same rate of loss of heat  250 J s −1
Energy loss as lead melts in 300 s  m l
250 × 300  3 × l (1 mark)
250×300
l 3
 25 000 J kg−1 (1 mark)
(2 marks)
c the specific heat capacity of liquid lead.
Note: same rate of loss of heat  250 J s−1
As it cools from 605 k to 600 K:
energy loss from liquid lead in 10 s  mL × cL × ∆θ
250  10  3 × cL × 5 (1 mark)
2500  15 cL
2500
cL  15
 167 J kg−1 K−1 (to three significant figures) (1
mark)
(2 marks)

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