Engineers test two temporary shelters. The shelters are identical except for the construction of their walls. The walls have the same thickness and use the same solid material.
The shelters are heated to the same temperature. The heating is then switched off and the shelters are left in the same outdoor conditions.
| Wall | Construction | Initial temperature inside the shelter | Temperature inside the shelter after 40 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | solid panel | 24 ∘C24\ ^{\circ}\text{C}24 ∘C | 15 ∘C15\ ^{\circ}\text{C}15 ∘C |
| B | panel containing many small, sealed air pockets | 24 ∘C24\ ^{\circ}\text{C}24 ∘C | 19 ∘C19\ ^{\circ}\text{C}19 ∘C |
Explain why the results show that wall B is more effective at keeping the shelter warm.
A third shelter uses wall B made twice as thick. All other conditions remain the same. Explain how this change would affect the temperature inside the shelter after 40 minutes.
110 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 14.2 Specific heat capacity and latent heat, covering 14.2.1 Heating, temperature and changes of state, 14.2.2 Specific heat capacity and specific latent heat, 14.2.3 Specific heat capacity calculation, 14.2.4 Specific latent heat calculation, and 14.2.5 Reducing energy transfer through thermal insulation. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.