Thermal physics: past paper questions

Where the questions come from

• Question 16May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the name of the change of state that occurs when a substance changes from a solid to a liquid?

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• Question 10Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The pressure and volume of a sample of gas at constant temperature are measured and plotted on a graph. The pressure is decreased to 12.5 kPa. What is the new volume of this sample of gas?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Some gas trapped in a container is compressed at constant temperature by a piston. Which property of the gas does not change?

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• Question 14Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Some gas is trapped in a large syringe. The atmospheric pressure is $100\text{ kPa}$. The gas pressure is $200\text{ kPa}$ above atmospheric pressure.

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• Question 17May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Liquid nitrogen boils at $77\text{ K}$. What is the boiling temperature of liquid nitrogen in ${}^{\circ }\text{C}$?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Air at atmospheric pressure and room temperature is trapped in an insulated container by a frictionless piston of negligible weight. The air can be compressed by placing masses on top of the piston.

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• Question 18May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Cooking oil of mass $0.25\text{ kg}$ is heated using a heater of power $50\text{ W}$. The graph shows how the temperature of the cooking oil changes with time. Thermal energy transfer from the oil to the surroundings is negligible.

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• Question 15Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  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?

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• Question 19May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Some of the liquid in a dish evaporates, as shown in the diagrams. Which molecules leave the liquid and which molecules in the liquid have greater average kinetic energy?

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Thermal energy is supplied at a constant rate to a fixed mass of a substance that is initially solid. The graph shows how the temperature of the fixed mass of the substance varies with time. In which sections of the graph does the substance absorb latent heat?

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• Question 20May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  The tubes inside solar heating panels use the Sun’s radiation to warm water. Why are the tubes painted black?

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Four metal cans are identical except for the colour and the texture of their outer surfaces. $100{\text{ cm}}^3$ of water at $70{}^{\circ }\text{C}$ is poured into each can. Which can cools the most rapidly?

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which diagram shows the names of the changes of state that correspond to the directions of the arrows?

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• Question 16May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which terms describe the changes in state between a gas and a liquid?

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• Question 13Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Air at a pressure of 1.0 × 105 N/m2 is trapped in a container by a piston.

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Air is trapped in a glass tube by a liquid. When the tube is horizontal, the length of the trapped air is $50\text{ mm}$ and its pressure is $1.0\times {10}^5\text{ Pa}$. When the tube is vertical, with the closed end downwards, the length of the trapped air is $45\text{ mm}$.

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows two changes of state, X and Y. Which row gives the names of the two changes of state?

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• Question 15Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  The melting temperature of gold is 1064 °C. What is the melting temperature of gold on the Kelvin scale?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Pot X and pot Y are both in a cool room. Pot X contains hot water below its boiling point. Pot Y is identical to pot X but contains water that is kept boiling by a hotplate underneath it.

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• Question 24Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Energy can be transferred by thermal radiation. Four surfaces have different colours and textures. The surfaces are at equal temperatures and have equal surface areas.

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• Question 16Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The table shows the melting and boiling temperatures of three elements. element | melting temperature / °C | boiling temperature / °C argon | –189 | –185 nitrogen| –210 | –196 oxygen | –218 | –183 At which temperature are the three elements in different states?

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• Question 21Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Solid metals are good thermal conductors. How closely packed are their particles and do the metals contain free electrons?

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• Question 26May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement is correct?

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Four copper spheres have identical surface colours and identical surface textures. They have different surface temperatures and surface areas. Which sphere emits infrared radiation at the greatest rate?

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a liquid at room temperature in a beaker. What reduces the rate of loss of liquid by evaporation?

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Cotton wool is a good thermal insulator. It consists of many threads of cotton which are tangled together to make a material which can easily be pulled apart or compressed. The diagram shows the structure of cotton wool.

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• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 21Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  Figure 2.1 shows a waterfall. The speed of the water flow at points P and Q is the same. Describe the transfers of energy that occur as the water moves from point P to point Q.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Structured7 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 3.1 shows a small block of ice at $0{}^{\circ }\text{C}$ and a plastic cup that contains $0.24\text{ kg}$ of water. The initial temperature of the water in the cup is $22.0{}^{\circ }\text{C}$. The block of ice is dropped into the water.

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• Question 18Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the colour and what is the texture of the best absorber of infrared radiation?

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• Question 23Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A metal kettle is heated on a grid above red-hot glowing coal. What are the main thermal energy transfers through the bottom of the kettle and within the water?

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