Thermal Energy Unit Test

Which table correctly identifies an observation and inference from the activity?

• 
• 
• 
• 

A student selects three identical Styrofoam cups (1, 2, and 3), paints one white and one black, and covers the outside of the third with aluminum foil, as shown. The student fills each cup with an equal volume of water at room temperature and places the cups in sunlight. After three hours, the student observes that the water in cup 3 is the coolest. What correctly explains the student’s observation?

• 
  The aluminum foil does not let light pass through it.

• 
  The aluminum foil is too thin to absorb heat.

• 
  The aluminum foil absorbs heat from the surroundings.

• 
  The aluminum foil reflects the light back toward the atmosphere.

A student wants to determine if the color of a cup will affect the temperature of the water contained in the cup. The student selects three different-colored cups, places 200 mL of water in each cup, and places all three cups in the Sun for 10 minutes. What tool should the student use to check which cup absorbed the most heat after 10 minutes?

• graduated cylinder

• 
  spring scale

• 
  stopwatch

• thermometer

A metal spoon is used to stir hot chocolate in a ceramic mug. Which statement describes the direction of heat transfer that occurs?

• 
  from the spoon to the mug

• from the mug to the spoon

• from the spoon to the hot chocolate

• from the hot chocolate to the spoon

Ryan observed that his jacket is stuffed with feathers which keep him warm during cold weather.

Which statement correctly categorizes Ryan’s jacket as a conductor or an insulator?

• 
  Ryan’s jacket is an insulator since it allows cold to flow from the external environment to the thin layer of air that is trapped close to Ryan’s body.

• Ryan’s jacket is a conductor since it allows heat to flow from the external environment to the thin layer of air that is trapped close to Ryan’s body.

• 
  Ryan’s jacket is a conductor since it helps to prevent cold from flowing from the external environment to the thin layer of air that is trapped close to Ryan’s body.

• Ryan’s jacket is an insulator since it helps to prevent heat from flowing from the thin layer of air that is trapped close to Ryan’s body to the external environment.

After several minutes, the student notices that both cubes are the same temperatures. What does the student demonstrate using the model?

• Convection is the transfer of heat that always happens in an upward direction.

• Conduction is the transfer of heat from a hotter object to a colder object.

• 
  Conduction is the transfer of heat from a larger object to a smaller object.

• 
  Convection is the transfer of heat between objects that are in contact.

If the door between the rooms is opened, and the temperatures are measured after one hour, what is the best prediction of the temperatures for Rooms X and Y?

• 
  Room X = 30°C; Room Y = 12°C

• 
  Room X = 30°C; Room Y = 18°C

• 
  Room X = 24°C; Room Y = 18°C

• Room X = 27°C; Room Y = 15°C

Metal cooking pots usually have plastic or wooden handles. Which property of metals best explains why the metal pots have handles that are made of a different substance?

• conductivity

• ductility

• malleability

• magnetism

A student wants to know how well four different kinds of cups can keep water hot. He labels four different cups P, Q, R, and S. The student then pours 10 mL of 45°C water into each cup and records the temperature of the water in each cup every 5 minutes for 20 minutes. What can be concluded from the investigation?

• 
  Cup S is a better insulator of heat than Cup P.

• Cup R is a better insulator of heat than Cup S.

• Cup Q is a better insulator of heat than Cup R.

• Cup P is a better insulator of heat than Cup R.

An engineer conducts an experiment to study which materials prevent heat transfer. The engineer fills four plastic cups each with 50 mL of water at 55°C and places a thermometer in each cup. The engineer wraps one of four different materials (1, 2, 3, and 4) around each cup and graphs the temperature of the water in each cup every 3 minutes. Which material minimizes heat transfer?

• material 1

• material 2

• 
  material 3

• 
  material 4