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Physics Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (4 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Transfer of Thermal Energy

Test Yourself 10.1 (page 168)

The statement “keep the cold out of the house” is inaccurate because it suggests that ‘cold’ tends to
move into the house. We have learnt that heat transfer occurs from hotter regions to cooler regions. In
other words, it is the transfer of heat from the inside of the house to the outside that causes the
temperature in the house to drop.

Quick Check (page 171)

Air is a poorer conductor of heat because the particles in air are further apart than the particles in water.

Test Yourself 10.2 (page 171)

1. In metals, conduction of heat is mainly due to the diffusion of free electrons from the hotter region
to the cooler region. When the free electrons move from the hotter to the cooler region, they collide
with the particles in the cooler region and transfer their kinetic energies to them. Conduction of heat
also takes place through molecular vibrations, but this mode of conduction is relatively slow.
In non-metals, conduction of heat only takes place through molecular vibrations. The kinetic
energies of the vibrating molecules at the hot end are transferred to the neighbouring molecules.

2. Materials that are good conductors of heat (such as metals) have free electrons that are free to
move about. As conduction of electric current is the flow of electric charges, such as electrons, the
free electrons in metals also enable them to be good conductors of electricity.

3. The statement is false. Since the person is only standing near the barbecue pit, and not touching it,
air separates the person from the pit. Air is a bad conductor of heat, and therefore conduction is
not likely the mode of heat transfer. The heat is most likely transferred via a different mode.
(Students will learn later that we feel the hotness of the barbecue fire due to radiation of the heat.)

Quick Check (page 172)

No; this is because convection currents cannot form when we heat the water at the top of the flask, as
heated water is less dense than cooler water and would stay at the top of the flask. However, if ice cubes
are added to the flask of water, convection currents will form due to cooling of water at the top of the
flask.

Test Yourself 10.3 (page 173)

1. Your hand feels hot because heat (thermal energy) is transferred to the air above the candle
through convection. The air around the candle flame is heated and hence becomes less dense and
rises.

2. When fluids are heated, they expand and become less dense. The less dense fluid rises. The
cooler (and hence denser) fluid will sink to replace the less dense fluids. This sets up a convection
current that transfers thermal energy from the hotter region to the cooler region.

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Physics Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (4 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 10

Test Yourself 10.4 (page 176)

1. • The warmness we feel during the day is due to the transfer of the Sun’s thermal energy to
Earth via radiation.
• The heat you feel when standing near a BBQ fire is due to the transfer of the thermal energy
from the BBQ fire to your body through radiation.
• The heat you feel when you place your hand beside (but not touching) a hot object, such a pot
of cooked food, is because thermal energy from the pot reaches your hand by radiation.

2. All objects emit thermal energy in the form of infrared radiation, which is a type of electromagnetic
(EM) wave. The hotter the object, the higher the rate of radiation. Thermal energy transfer by
radiation does not require a medium because EM waves can travel through vacuum.

3. • Colour and texture of the surface

• Surface temperature
• Surface area

Quick Check (page 179)

Refrigerators work in a similar way as air conditioners. The cold air vent is usually placed at the top to
cool the air and facilitate setting up of convection currents. The convection currents inside the
refrigerator help cool the contents inside.

Test Yourself 10.5 (page 181)

1. (a) (i) Conduction

(ii) Convection
(b) The sides are polished to reduce heat loss due to radiation. Polished and shiny surfaces are
poor emitters of radiation.

2. The tea in the black mug would cool faster because black surfaces are better emitters of infrared
radiation.

Get It Right (page 182)

(a) False
Thermal energy is transferred from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower
temperature.
(b) True
(c) True
(d) False
Radiation is the emission of infrared radiation from the surface of objects. It does not require a
medium for transmission. However, the rate of its emission does depend on the colour, texture,
temperature and area of the object’s surface.
(e) True

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Physics Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (4 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 10

Let’s Review (page 183)

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions

1. B
The particles in a solid are held together closely by strong intermolecular bonds and therefore they
can only vibrate about a fixed position. For transfer of thermal energy in a solid, the heated
particles vibrate more vigorously to pass the energy to the neighbouring particles.

2. B
The heated water is less dense and hence will rise. This forms a convection current. The heating
element of a hot water tank should be placed at the bottom of the tank so that the entire body of
water in the tank gets heated. If the heating element were placed in the middle or top of the tank,
the portion of water below the heater would not be heated.

3. D
A vacuum is a region with no particles (It does not contain any matter). Conduction and convection
require a medium to transfer thermal energy.

4. D
The contents in container P and Q are able to lose heat by conduction (via the container),
convection (via the surrounding air) and radiation. Since both containers are in the same
environment, the rate of convection should be similar. Since container P lost heat at a faster rate, it
is possible that container P is a better conductor (made of a different material than container Q)
and/or a better emitter of radiation (painted dull black).

5. D
The rate of heat loss through radiation, conduction and convection are related to the temperature
difference. The larger the temperature difference, the higher the rate of heat transfer.

Section B: Structured Question

1. (a) The dull side of the aluminium foil should be outside. Reasons are:
• Dull surfaces are good absorbers of infrared radiation. The dull side of the aluminium foil
absorbs heat at a higher rate than the shiny side. It is able to transfer heat at a faster rate
to the food wrapped inside it.
• Shiny surfaces are poor absorbers of heat. Since the shiny side is on the inside, the heat
lost from the food is reduced, as the shiny surface will reflect the heat emitted by the food
back to the food.
(b) The heated air at the heater becomes less dense and hence rises while the denser cold air
sinks. This sets up a convection current. The heater is installed near the floor so that the
entire room can be warmed.

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Physics Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (4 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 10

Section C: Free-Response Question

1. (a) Thermal energy transfer in solids occurs by conduction. The particles in the solids vibrate and
pass energy to their neighbouring particles by colliding with them. Good conductors have
particles that are more closely packed than bad conductors.
Compared to wood, copper is a much better conductor of heat because its particles are more
closely packed, and it contains many free electrons. When these free electrons gain thermal
energy, they gain kinetic energy and move faster. These fast moving electrons are free to
diffuse into the cooler parts of the metal. During this process, they collide with the particles in
the cooler parts of the copper object and transfer their kinetic energies to them.
(b) The main mechanism by which an electric kettle heats water is convection. Convection is the
transfer of thermal energy by means of currents in a fluid. When the heating coil near the
bottom of the electric kettle is hot, the water surrounding the coil gains heat from the coil and
starts to expand. The expansion causes the hot water to be less dense than the surrounding
water and therefore rises. As the hot water rises, the cooler and hence denser water at the top
sinks to the bottom, replacing the hot water. This creates a convection current that transfers
the heat from the heating coil to the entire body of water.
(c) (i) Infrared radiation is a component of electromagnetic waves. It is one of the modes of
thermal energy transfer.
(ii) Shiny surfaces are poor absorbers of infrared radiation. Spacesuits and firefighting suits
are shiny to minimize the amount of heat transferred from the hot environment to the
human being in the suit.
(iii) Car radiators and motorcycle engines needs to dissipate heat quickly to the
environment during operation to prevent overheating. They are painted dull black
because black is a good emitter of infrared radiation. They have a larger surface area to
increase the rate of heat loss by radiation.

Physics Today (page 184)

1. To solve this question, we need to know the room temperature. In the suggested solution below,
the room temperature was assumed to be 25°C.

Let m = mass of ice

lf = latent heat of fusion of ice
c = specific heat capacity of water
!" = change in temperature

By melting 1000 kg of ice at 0°C to water at 0°C,

heat extracted from the surroundings = heat gained by melting ice
= mlf
–1
= 1000 kg × 340 000 J kg
8
= 3.4 × 10 J

Further amount of heat is extracted from the surroundings (for the water at 0°C to reach room
temperature) = heat gained by water at 0°C to reach 25°C
= mc !"
–1 –1
= 1000 kg × 4200 J kg °C × 25°C
8
= 1.05 × 10 J

Therefore, total heat that can be extracted by a 1000 kg block of ice at 0°C
8 8
= 3.4 × 10 J + 1.05 × 10 J
8
= 4.45 × 10 J

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Physics Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (4 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 10

2. amount of heat energy extracted

Time taken =
rate of extraction
8
4.45 × 10 J
= 3 -1
2 × 10 J s
5
= 2.225 × 10 s
= 2 days 13 hours 48 minutes and 20 seconds

The air-conditioner would need to be turned on for 2 days 13 hours 48 minutes and 20 seconds to
extract the same amount of heat as melting 1000 kg of ice.

3. Links for information:

http://architecture.about.com/od/buildyourhous1/a/murcuttbuild.htm
http://inhabitat.com/amazing-green-roof-art-school-in-singapore/

Things to think about:

• Materials used
• Design (e.g. position of windows)
• Location of building, position of surrounding buildings
• Landscaping (gardens, trees in adjacent areas)

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