Q1.

A student investigated the insulating properties of newspaper.

Figure 1 shows the apparatus the student used.

Figure 1

The student’s results are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

(a) Describe a method the student could have used to obtain the results shown in
Figure 2.

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 _The student could continue to increase the layers of newspaper and
continue to record the data of decreasing temperature after five minutes. This
would obtain the results that the students needed.

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(6)

(b) The student could have used a datalogger with a temperature probe instead of the
digital thermometer.

Figure 3 shows the readings on the digital thermometer and the datalogger.

Figure 3

The datalogger records 10 readings every second.

The student considered using a temperature probe and datalogger.

Explain why it was not necessary to use a temperature probe and datalogger for
this investigation.

It is not necessary to use both pieces of equipment for the investigation

because they both achieve the same thing. The datalogger records and
monitors data over time, taking readings every 10 seconds. The temperature

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 probe measures temperature by monitoring the resistance in a given area.
They both take accurate readings and have the same outcome and therefor
the student does not need to use both.
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q2.
The specific heat capacity of aluminium can be determined by experiment.

(a) Draw a labelled diagram showing how the apparatus used to determine the specific
heat capacity of aluminium should be arranged.
(3)

Immersion heater thermometer

Some oil

power supply

aluminium

heater container

(b) Describe how you could use the apparatus you drew in part (a) to determine the
specific heat capacity of aluminium.

The immersion heater connected to the power supply allows the container to heat up,
heating the oil. The thermometer measures the temperature of the oil as the
aluminium surrounding the container insulates the container, affecting the
temperature of the oil. Record the temperature of the container. After 10 minutes
turn off the heater connected to the power supply. The temperature will still rise even
though the heater has been turned off and then it will begin to cool. Record the
highest temperature that it reaches and calculate the temperature rise during the
experiment. From these results you can calculate the specific heat capacity.
(6)

(c) Methods used to determine the specific heat capacity of aluminium may give a value
greater than the actual value.

Explain why.

The surrounding temperatures in the air could negatively affect the experiment. The
heater connected to the power supply may be too much heat for the aluminium to
handle an could cause the oil to get too hot making the thermometer only focus on
the temperature of the oil rather than the temperature of the container.

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(2)
(Total 11 marks)

Q3.
A student investigated the properties of three types of insulation.

Figure 1 shows the apparatus the student used.

Figure 1

In the investigation different insulating materials were placed in contact with the hot metal
plate.

Temperature probes measured the temperature on each side of the material.

The temperature probes were connected to a data logger.

Figure 2 shows how the temperature measured by temperature probe 2 changed over 10
minutes for each of the materials.

Figure 2

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(a) What was the temperature of the hot metal plate?

_________________ 20°C
(1)

(b) Which material is the best insulator?

Tick one box.

A B C

Give the reason for your answer.

_The temperature increases immediately, the temperature increasing by sixty

degrees in six minutes. The temperature then remains constant for the
remaining four minutes. Material A not only didn’t allow the temperature to
drop below twenty degrees but increased it to eighty degrees, proving its
insulation very effective.
(2)

(c) Another student repeated the investigation but doubled the thickness for all three
insulating materials.

Suggest how using thicker insulation would affect the results of the second student's
investigation compared with the first student's results.

By increasing the layers of insulation, the temperature of the metal plate

would increase. As the thickness of the insulation triples, so would the
temperature. For example, Material A’s final result temperature of eighty
degrees would triple, allowing it to reach as high as two-hundred and forty

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 degrees centigrade.
(2)

(d) The students could have used a thermometer instead of temperature probes and a
datalogger.

Figure 3 shows the datalogger screen and a thermometer.

Figure 3

Give two advantages of using the datalogger and temperature probes compared to
a thermometer.

1. Higher accuracy and easier for the students to find out the exact decimal.

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2. Clearer and easier to see on a screen

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(2)

(e) The table gives information about four types of insulation that could be used for
insulating the cavity walls of houses.

Thermal conductivity in
Type of insulation
W/m °C

Felt wool 0.070

Mineral wool 0.040

Polyurethane foam 0.030

Rock wool 0.045

Explain which one of the types of insulation in the table would be the best to use for
cavity wall insulation.

The felt wool would be the best use for cavity wall insulation because the
higher the decimal the higher the thermal conductivity of the compound is.
The results table shows that felt wool insulation traps the warm air and
prevents it from circulating around the cavity the most effectively. Felt wool

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has the highest and most efficient number of 0.070 thermal conductivity watts
per meter by Kelvin. Therefore the felt wool is the best insulator for cavity
wall insulation.

(2)
(Total 9 marks)

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