A student notices that the air near the ceiling of a heated room is warmer than the air near the floor. This is due to convection.
Which statement explains why this happens?
Warm air is less dense than cold air, so it rises towards the ceiling.
Cold air is less dense than warm air, so it rises towards the ceiling.
The molecules in cold air have more kinetic energy than those in warm air, so they move towards the ceiling faster.
The molecules in warm air are closer together than those in cold air, so they rise towards the ceiling.
301 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 2.3 Transfer of thermal energy, covering 2.3.1a Thermal conductors and thermal insulators, 2.3.1b Explaining thermal conduction, 2.3.2 Convection, 2.3.3a Thermal radiation, 2.3.3b Surface colour and texture, 2.3.3c Rate of emission and absorption of radiation, and 2.3.4 Consequences of thermal energy transfer. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.