PHYSICS
Paper 6 ATP Duration
35 mins
The IGCSE class is investigating the cooling of water.
Fig. 1.1. shows the apparatus used.
thermometer
hot
water
Fig. 1.1
Hot water is poured into the beaker and temperature readings are taken as the water cools.
Table 1.1 shows the readings taken by one student.
Table 1.1
t /s θ / °C
0 85
30 78
60 74
90 71
120 69
150 67
300 63
(a) (i) Using the information in the table, calculate the temperature change T1 of the water
in the first 150 s.
T1 = ...........................................
(ii) Using the information in the table, calculate the temperature change T2 of the water
in the final 150 s.
T2 = ............................................
[3]
(b) Plot a graph of θ / °C (y-axis) against t / s (x-axis) for the first 150 s. [5]
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
t /s
(c) During the experiment the rate of temperature change decreases.
(i) Describe briefly how the results that you have calculated in part (a) show this
trend.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
(ii) Describe briefly how the graph line shows this trend.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
[2]
2 An IGCSE student is investigating the rate of cooling of water in different containers.
Fig. 2.1 shows the two containers.
thermometer
container A
thermometer
container B
Fig. 2.1
Approximately 200 cm3 of hot water is poured into container A. A stopclock is started and
the temperature of the water is recorded at 30 s intervals. Hot water is then poured into
container B until there is sufficient to cover the thermometer bulb. The stopclock is started
and the temperature of the water is recorded at 30 s intervals. All the temperature readings
are shown in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1
container A container B
t/ θ/ θ/
0 80 78
71 66
65 59
59 55
56 51
55 49
54 48
(a) (i) Complete the column headings in the table.
(ii) Complete the time column in the table.
[2]
(b) Calculate the temperature change of the water in each container over the period of
180 s.
Container A temperature change = ............................................
Container B temperature change = ....................................... [1]
(c) State which container, A or B, has the greater rate of cooling. Justify your answer by
reference to the readings.
Statement ........................................................................................................................
Justification ......................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
(d) To make a fair comparison between the rates of cooling of the hot water in the two
containers it is important to control other experimental conditions. Suggest two conditions
that should be controlled in this experiment.
1. ......................................................................................................................................
2. ................................................................................................................................. [2]
3 The IGCSE class is investigating the rate of heating and cooling of a thermometer bulb.
The apparatus used is shown in Fig. 3.1.
thermometer
lid
water
Fig. 3.1
(a) Record the room temperature θr shown on the thermometer.
–10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 °C
θr = ................................................. [1]
(b) For the cooling experiment, a student places the thermometer into hot water as shown in
Fig. 3.1. When the temperature shown on the thermometer stops rising, she records the
temperature θ at time t = 0 s. She removes the thermometer from the water, immediately
starts a stopclock, and records the temperature shown on the thermometer at 30 s
intervals. The readings are shown in Table 3.1.
For the heating experiment, the student takes another thermometer and records the
temperature θ shown on the thermometer at time t = 0 s. She places the thermometer in
the beaker of hot water, immediately starts the stopclock, and records the temperature
shown by the thermometer at 10 s intervals. The readings are shown in Table 3.2.
Table 3.1 Table 3.2
t/ θ/ t/ θ/
0 74 0 25
30 60 10 69
60 52 20 80
90 45 30 81
120 39 40 81
150 35 50 82
180 33 60 82
(i) Complete the column headings in both tables. [1]
(ii) Estimate the time that would be taken in the cooling experiment for the thermometer
to cool from the reading at time t = 0 s to room temperature θr .
estimated time = ................................................. [1]
(c) State in which table the initial rate of temperature change is the greater. Justify your
answer by reference to your readings.
The initial rate of temperature change is greater in Table .................................................
justification .......................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [1]
(d) If one of these experiments were to be repeated in order to determine an average
temperature for each time, it would be important to control the conditions. Suggest two
such conditions that should be controlled.
1. ......................................................................................................................................
2. .................................................................................................................................. [2]
[Total: 6]
