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2.2.1 Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases

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Question 12

A technician is designing a liquid-in-glass thermometer. The following is a list of properties of the thermometer that she is considering:

sensitivityrangespeed of responselinearity \text{sensitivity} \quad \text{range} \quad \text{speed of response} \quad \text{linearity} sensitivityrangespeed of responselinearity
a.

(i)

  1. Which one of these properties is affected by the volume of the bulb of the thermometer?
  2. Explain your answer.

(ii)

  1. Which property is affected by the thickness of the glass wall of the bulb?
  2. Explain your answer.
[4]
b.

The thermometer is to be used to measure meteorological temperatures in a polar region between −55∘C-55^\circ\text{C}−55∘C and 10∘C10^\circ\text{C}10∘C. The technician considers using mercury (freezing point −39∘C-39^\circ\text{C}−39∘C) or coloured ethanol (freezing point −114∘C-114^\circ\text{C}−114∘C) as the liquid.

(i) Write down which liquid would be suitable.

(ii) Give two reasons for your answer.

[3]
Markscheme

2.2.1 Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases Questions

  1. IGCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /2.2.1 Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases

96 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 2.2.1 Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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