Topic 3 – Thermal physics Formative Assessment

PROBLEM SET NAME: ________________________________

THIS IS A PRACTICE ASSESSMENT. Show formulas, substitutions, answers, and units!
Topic 3.1 – Thermal concepts [ NGSS Supplement to Topic 3.1 begins at problem 51... ]
The following questions are about internal energy.
1. What are the two forms of internal energy?

2. Suppose a liquid’s starting temperature is 20C and its ending temperature is 35C. Explain what
happens to each form of internal energy.

3. How can you tell if the internal potential energy of a substance has changed?

4. How can you tell if the internal kinetic energy of a substance has changed?

The following questions are about temperature scales.

5. Describe the concept of the absolute zero of temperature and the Kelvin scale of temperature.

6. Convert 273°C to Kelvin.

7. Convert 273 K to Celsius.

The specific heat capacity of a particular block of steel is 500 J kg -1 C°-1. When we
add 4106 J of thermal energy to a block of this steel its temperature increases by 5
°C.
8. What is the mass of the above block?

9. Suppose we now have 200-kg of this same kind of steel. How much heat must be added to raise its
temperature by 5 °C?

The specific heat capacity of a particular steel is

460 J kg-1 C°-1. The specific heat of water is 4186 J
kg-1 C°-1. The mass of the steel is 550 grams. The
mass of the water is 300 grams. The container is
extremely light plastic and acts as a good
insulator (it doesn’t absorb any of the heat). The steel is heated up to 65°C and placed in the water,
which is originally at a temperature of 15°C.
10. Which material gains heat and which material loses heat?

11. What is the final temperature of the combination, assuming no heat is lost to the container or the
environment?
The following questions are about phase change.
12. Explain in terms of molecular behavior how heat can be added to a substance during phase change,
but the temperature remains constant.

13. Draw a T vs. Q graph for a typical substance that shows its five characteristic regions (three regions
which show temperature increase and two regions that don’t). Label the melting point and the
boiling point. Label the freezing point, and the condensation point.

The following questions are about changing the temperature and phase of a 0.50-
kg piece of ice. Its starting temperature is -35°C.
14. The ice is warmed up to 0.0°C without melting. How much heat energy in
Joules is needed?

15. The ice at 0°C is now warmed up until it all melts, becoming water at 0°C.
How much heat energy in Joules is needed?

16. The water at 0°C is now warmed up until it reaches a

temperature of 100°C but does not begin to boil. How much
heat energy in Joules is needed?

17. The water at 100°C is now warmed up until it all turns into
steam at a temperature of 100°C. How much heat energy in
Joules is needed?

18. The steam at 100°C is now warmed up until it reaches a temperature of 135°C. How much heat
energy in Joules is needed?

19. 0.50 kilograms of ice at -35°C is warmed up to become steam at 135°C. How much heat energy in
Joules is needed?

Topic 3.2 – Modeling a gas

20. A 16-pound bowling ball having a mass of 7.27 kg is placed on a dime having a diameter of 1.80 cm.
The ball-dime combo is then placed on the floor. What is the pressure in N m-2 exerted on the floor?
Why is the dime even used?

The following questions are about an ideal gas.

21. State the equation of state for an ideal gas.

22. List the state variables for an ideal gas.

23. An ideal gas is kept in a fixed volume at a temperature of 45 C and a pressure of 15 kPa. The gas is
then heated at constant volume to a temperature of 250 C. Determine its new pressure.

The following questions are about the kinetic model of an ideal gas.
24. List the four assumptions of the kinetic model of an ideal gas.

25. Using the assumptions of the kinetic model of an ideal gas: Explain why 1 mol of an ideal gas in a
fixed container has a higher pressure at a higher temperature.

26. Using the assumptions of the kinetic model of an ideal gas: Explain why 1 mol of an ideal gas in a
fixed container has a lower pressure than 2 mol in the same container at the same temperature.

The internal volume of a gas cylinder is 2.75 10-3 m3. The cylinder head has a diameter of 12.5 cm. An
ideal gas is pumped into the cylinder until the pressure becomes 350. kPa. The temperature of the gas is
58.6 C.
27. What force does the gas exert on the cylinder head?

28. Determine how many moles of the gas are there in the cylinder.

29. Determine the number of gas atoms in the cylinder.

The following questions are about the processes of an ideal gas.

30. Deduce the expression for the work involved in a volume change of a gas at constant pressure. Be
sure to show all steps and include a sketch.

31. Describe what an isochoric change of state of an ideal gas is, and give an experimental set-up that
could allow for such a change of state. What is another name for isochoric?

32. Describe what an isobaric change of state of an ideal gas is, and give an experimental set-up that
could allow for such a change of state.

33. Describe what an isothermal change of state of an ideal gas is, and give an experimental set-up that
could allow for such a change of state.

34. Show that for an isolated ideal gas V µ T during an isobaric process. This is known in chemistry as
Charles’s law.

35. Show that for an isolated ideal gas p1V1 = p2V2 during an isothermal process. This is known in
chemistry as Boyle’s law.
Consider the p-V diagram to the right. Answer the following questions. All
states will be designated with a single letter. All processes will be
designated with two letters (e.g.: DA).
36. Of the two states A and B, which is at the higher temperature? How
do you know?

37. Of the two states A and C, which is at the higher temperature? How do
you know?

38. Which process is an isothermal expansion?

39. Which process is isobaric? Is it an expansion or a contraction? How do you know?

40. Which process is isochoric? Is the gas cooling or warming during this process? How can you tell?

Consider the p-V diagram to the right for the following questions:
41. Find the work done during the process AB. Is this work done by
the gas, or on the gas? How can you tell?

42. Find the work done during the process BC. Is this work done by
the gas, or on the gas? How can you tell?

43. Find the work done during the process CA.

44. Find the work done during the entire cycle. Is this work done by the gas, or on the gas? How can you
tell?

In the atmosphere oxygen generally occurs in the diatomic form as O 2 or in the

triatomic form as O3 (called ozone).
45. How many oxygen atoms are there in 6 mol of the diatomic form?

46. How many ozone molecules are there in 6 mol of ozone?

47. How many grams is 6 mol of the diatomic form of oxygen?

48. How many kilograms is 4.5 mol of ozone?

49. Describe the difference between an ideal gas and a real gas.

50. The equation of state for ideal gases pV = nRT works for real gases only under conditions of _____
pressure and _____ volume.
Topic 3.1 – Thermal concepts [ NGSS Supplement ]
51. Explain the process of convection for a “chunk” of air.

52. Why does there need to be a temperature differential (say, cold up high,
and hot down low) for convection to work?

53. Why does there need to be a fluid for convection to work?

The following questions are about plate tectonics

and associated landforms.
54. Explain how convection is set up/driven in the
mantle.

55. Explain how convection drives the process of

continental drift.

56. About how long ago was the supercontinent Pangaea in existence?

57. Explain how convection in the mantle can result in spreading

centers in the oceanic crust.

58. Explain how convection in the mantle can result in subduction

zones where the oceanic crust and the continental crust collide.

59. Explain how convection can form volcanoes.

60. Explain how convection can form land-locked mountain ranges. Give an example of two land plates
that are colliding, and what mountain range they are creating.