Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes the physical meaning of temperature in a substance?

Accepted Answer

Temperature is the average translational kinetic energy per molecule in a substance.

Question 2

A thermometer is placed in a cup of hot water. What must occur before the thermometer gives an accurate reading of the water's temperature?

Accepted Answer

The thermometer must reach thermal equilibrium with the water.

Question 3

Which of the following best explains why the Atlantic Ocean has a moderating effect on the climate of Western Europe?

Accepted Answer

The Atlantic Ocean has a high specific heat capacity, allowing it to store and release large amounts of energy slowly.

Question 4

If you add the same amount of heat to two samples of water, one with a mass of 100 g and the other with a mass of 200 g, which sample will experience the greater temperature increase?

Accepted Answer

The 100 g sample.

Question 5

Which equation correctly relates the quantity of heat $$Q$$ required to change the temperature of a mass $$m of a $$substance with specific heat $$c by a $$temperature change $$\Delta T$$?

Accepted Answer

$$Q = mc\Delta T$$

Question 6

A red-hot metal nail is dropped into a cup of room-temperature water. Which direction does heat flow?

Accepted Answer

From the nail to the water.

Question 7

Why do railroad tracks sometimes buckle on hot summer days?

Accepted Answer

Because the metal expands as it heats up, and if there is no room for expansion, the tracks buckle.

Question 8

Which of the following best describes what happens to water as it is heated from 0°C to 4°C?

Accepted Answer

It contracts until 4°C, then begins to expand.

Question 9

A bimetallic strip is made of brass and iron. When heated, the strip bends. Why does this happen?

Accepted Answer

Brass expands more than iron when heated, causing the strip to bend.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the Kelvin temperature scale is correct?

Accepted Answer

0 K is absolute zero, the lowest possible temperature.

Question 11

A 1-gram sample of water and a 1-gram sample of iron are both heated by 1 calorie. Which will experience the greater temperature increase?

Accepted Answer

The iron.

Question 12

Why does ice float on water?

Accepted Answer

Ice is less dense than liquid water due to its open crystal structure.

Question 13

Which of the following is a real-world application of thermal expansion?

Accepted Answer

Expansion joints in bridges to prevent structural damage.

Question 14

If you heat a half-cup of tea and its temperature rises by $$4\ ^\circ \mathrm{C}$$, how much will the temperature rise if you add the same amount of heat to a full cup of tea?

Accepted Answer

$$2\ ^\circ \mathrm{C}$$

Question 15

Which of the following mechanisms does NOT raise the temperature of a substance when it absorbs heat?

Accepted Answer

Increasing internal vibration

Question 16

Why is it advisable to allow telephone lines to sag when stringing them between poles in the summer?

Accepted Answer

Because the lines contract in winter and may snap if not enough sag is allowed.

Question 17

Which has the higher specific heat capacity, water or land?

Accepted Answer

Water

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the flow of heat?

Accepted Answer

Heat flows from a high-temperature substance to a low-temperature substance until thermal equilibrium is reached.

Question 19

When a sample of $$4\ ^\circ \mathrm{C}$$ water is cooled, what happens to its volume?

Accepted Answer

It expands.

Chapter 15: Temperature, Heat, and Expansion – Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

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