Transfer of thermal energy: past paper questions

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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 26May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement is correct?

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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 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 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 6May/June 2026, paper 21Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  Figure 6.1 shows two identical car headlamps connected in parallel to the $12\text{ V}$ battery of a car. The lamps are filament lamps. Figure 6.1 The switch is closed, and both lamps operate at normal brightness.

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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 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 3.1 shows gas at room temperature. The gas is trapped in a metal cylinder by a metal piston fixed in position. The metal cylinder is immersed in boiling water and the temperature of the trapped gas increases.

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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 4May/June 2026, paper 22Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  Figure 4.1 shows a travel mug used to keep a liquid hot. Inside the mug, there are metal walls with a vacuum between the walls. The mug contains $250\text{ g}$ of water, initially at $90{}^{\circ }\text{C}$.

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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 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 3.1 shows a laboratory freezer. The door is closed and the freezer is switched on. A cold liquid is pumped through the copper pipe at the top of the freezer.

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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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• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student compares two methods of reducing the rate of temperature decrease in a beaker of hot water. The student uses two identical beakers, P and Q. Beaker P is wrapped with a layer of insulation but has no lid. Beaker Q has a lid but no layer of insulation.

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  An iron beaker containing liquid X is placed on the bench in a laboratory. Liquid X begins to evaporate slowly. Explain why the evaporation causes the temperature of liquid X to decrease.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2024, paper 42Essay6 marks

  Water is heated from room temperature to its boiling temperature in a glass beaker. Plan an experiment to investigate if the time taken for the water to reach its boiling temperature depends on the diameter of the water surface exposed to the air.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Structured10 marks

  When the temperature of a liquid increases, the kinetic energy of its particles increases and the liquid expands. Explain, by referring to particles, why a liquid expands when heated.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 42Essay6 marks

  When air moves over the surface of hot water in a beaker, it changes the rate of cooling of the hot water. Plan an experiment to investigate the relationship between the speed of a fan producing the moving air and the rate of cooling of the hot water in the beaker.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the absorption of thermal radiation by different coloured surfaces. The student has arranged a thermometer which has a piece of white card attached to its bulb so that the bulb is level with the filament of a lamp. The lamp is switched off.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2023, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the rate of cooling of water at the top and at the bottom of a beaker of hot water.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2025, paper 42Essay6 marks

  A student investigates the rate of cooling of hot water in a beaker. Plan an experiment to investigate the relationship between the thickness of the cardboard insulation wrapped around the beaker and the rate of cooling of the hot water in the beaker.

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• Question 18May/June 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Thermal energy passes quickly from hot regions of a metal to cold regions of the metal. Why are metals good conductors of thermal energy?

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• Question 22May/June 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about infrared radiation is correct?

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• Question 21May/June 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which description of a dull black surface is correct?

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• Question 3May/June 2024, paper 22Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 3.1 shows a solar-powered charger connected to a cell phone (mobile phone). The battery inside the cell phone is charged by the solar-powered charger. Complete Fig. 3.2 to show the useful transfer of energy from the Sun to the battery.

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• Question 17May/June 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about copper explains why it is a better thermal conductor than glass?

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• Question 16May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a metal pan on a hotplate. The pan is heated by the hotplate. How is the thermal energy transferred from the hotplate to the metal pan?

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• Question 2May/June 2024, paper 41Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates how the temperature of the surroundings affects the rate of cooling of water. The student: • pours $100{\text{ cm}}^3$ of hot water into a $250{\text{ cm}}^3$ beaker • uses a thermometer to take the temperature of the water at time $t=0\text{ s}$.

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• Question 18May/June 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement describes the transfer of thermal energy in a liquid by convection?

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