Physics · Unit 1 · Heating processes · Kinetic particle model and specific heat capacity
AI-marked practice questions tied to QCAA mark schemes for this exact LO. Free to start.
Start free practiceFull questions, answers and worked solutions unlock when you start a free practice session.
A student investigates the heating of two different metals by measuring temperature change over time as constant thermal energy is supplied. Refer to the data below. Identify which metal has the lower specific heat capacity and interpret the physical significance of this property for practical applications.
A student investigates the heating of ice taken from a freezer at −18°C. The ice is placed in an insulated container and heated at a constant rate of 420 W. The student records temperature every 30 seconds. Refer to the graph below. Interpret the shape of the graph between 2.0 minutes and 6.0 minutes, explaining what is happening to the energy supplied during this interval and why the temperature remains constant.
A student conducted a heating experiment by supplying thermal energy at a constant rate to a 250 g sample of an unknown solid substance initially at 15°C. The graph below shows the temperature of the substance over time. **Figure 1: Temperature–time graph for heated substance** Source: QCAA 2026 Interpret the graph to identify the physical processes occurring in regions AB and CD, and compare the specific heat capacities of the solid and liquid phases.
A student heats a 0.50 kg block of metal from 20°C to 80°C using a 150 W immersion heater for 240 s. The graph shows temperature versus time for this heating process. Calculate the theoretical specific heat capacity of the metal.