Thermal Physics 1

1. 540 g of ice at 00 C is mixed with 540 g of water at 80 0C. The final temperature of the
mixture will be
a. 0 0C b. 40 0C c. -20 0C d. 80 0C
2. A thermometer with an arbitrary scale has the ice point at -20 0 and steam point at 180 0.
When the temperature measured by this thermometer is 5 0 the corresponding reading on
the centigrade scale is
a. 7.5 0C b. 12.5 0C c. -7.5 0C d. -12.50C
3. Two lagged conductors of the same material have their diameters in the ratio 1:2 and their
lengths in the ratio 2:1. If the temperature difference between their ends is the same, then
the ratio of the amounts of heat conducted through them per second will be
a. 1:8 b. 8:1 c. 4:1 d. 1:4
0
4. The energy emitted per second by a black body at 1227 C is E. If the temperature of the
black body is increased to 2727 0C the energy emitted per second in terms of E is
a. E b. 2E c. 4E d. 16E
5. Two metallic spheres P and Q of the same surface finish are taken. The weight of P is twice
that of Q. Both the spheres are heated to the same temperature and left in a room to cool
by radiation. The ratio of the rate of cooling of P to Q is
a. √2 : 1 b. 2:1 c. 1:2 d. 1 : 21/3
6. An object cools from 80 0C to 70 0C in one minute in a room at 30 0C. The time it will take to
cool from 50 0C to 40 0C (in minutes) is
a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5
7. A steel wire 8 m long and 4 mm in diameter is fixed to rigid supports. If the Young modulus
of steel is 2 x 1011 Nm-2 and α for steel is 12 x 10-6 0C-1, the increase in tension when the
temperature falls by 10 0C is about
a. 3 N b. 30 N c. 300 N d. 3000 N
8. If 6 x 1023 gaseous molecules occupy a volume of 22.4 dm 3 at STP, the average spacing
between the molecules, correct to one significant figure is
a. 0.5 nm b. 3 nm c. 5 nm d. 30 nm
9. Metal X of mass m at 0 0C is placed in contact with metal Y of mass 2m at 100 0C. If the ratio
of the specific heat capacity of X to that of Y is 8, the final temperature of the block is
a. 20 0C b.. 25 0C c. 50 0C d. 75 0C
10. Two rods of lengths d1 and d2 and coefficient of thermal conductivities k1 and k2 are kept one
after the other and touching each other. Both have the same area of cross -section. The
equivalent coefficient of thermal conductivity is
a. (d1 + d2 )/(d1/k1 + d2/k2) b. (d1/k1 + d2/k2) / (d1 + d2)
c. k1 + k2 d. k1d1 + k2d2
11. Two bars of the same length but of area of cross -section a 1 and a2 are joined as shown
below. Their ends are maintained at temperatures t 1 and t2. If k1 and k2 are the coefficients of
thermal conductivity of the two bars, then the equivalent coefficient of thermal conductivity
is
a. k1 + k 2 b. k1 / k 2
c. k1a1 + k2a2 / k1 + k2 d. k1a1 + k2a2 / a1 + a2

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12. A steel scale measures the length of a copper rod as L cm when both are at 20 0C. the
calibration temperature for the scale. If the coefficients of linear expansion for steel and
copper are αs and αc respectively, what would be the scale reading (in cm) when both are at
21 0C?
a. L (1 + αc) /( 1 + αs) b. Lαc /αs c. Lαs/αc d. L
13. In the above question, what would be the scale reading if the scale was made of copper?
a. L b. L (1 + αc) c. L (1 – αc) d. none of these
14. Two uniform brass rods A and B of lengths l and 2l and radii 2r and r respectively are
heated to the same temperature. The ratio of the increase in the length of A to that of B is
a. 1 :1 b. 1:2 c. 1:4 d. 2:1
15. When a metallic bar is heated from 0 0C to 100 0C, its length increases by 0.05 %. What is the
coefficient of linear expansion of the metal? (in 0C-1 )
a. 5 x 10-3 b. 5 x 10-4 c. 5 x 10-5 d. 5 x 10-6
16. Two rods of different materials having coefficients of thermal expansion α1 and α2 and
Young modulus Y1 and Y2 are fixed between two rigid and massive walls. The rods are
heated to the same temperature. If there is no bending of the rods, the thermal stresses
developed in them are equal provided
a. Y1/ Y2 = √ (α1/α2) b. Y1/ Y2 = √ (α2/α1)
c. Y1/ Y2 = α1/α2 d. Y1/ Y2 = α2/α1
17. 300 g of water at 25 C is added to 100 g of ice at 0 0C. The final temperature of the mixture
0

is
a. -5/3 0C b. -5/2 0C c. -5 0C d. 0 0C
18. 100 g of ice at 0 0C is mixed with 100 g of water at 80 0C. The final temperature of the
mixture will be
a. 0 0C b. 20 0C c. 40 0C d. 60 0C
19. A drilling machine of power P (in watts) is used to drill a hole in a copper block of mass M (in
kg). If the specific heat of copper is S Jkg -1 0C-1, and 40 % of the power is lost due to heating
of the machine, the rise in the temperature of the block in T seconds will be (in 0C) will be
a. 0.6PT/MS b. 0.6P/MST c. 0.4PT/MS d. 0.4P/MST
20. A copper block of mass 2 kg is heated to a temperature of 500 0C and then placed in a large
block of ice at 0 0C. What is the maximum amount of ice that can melt? (Specific heat
capacity of copper = 400 Jkg-1 0C-1, Latent heat of fusion of water = 3.5 x 10 5 Jkg-1)
a. 4/3 kg b. 6/5 kg c. 8/7 kg d. 10/9 kg
21. Two different metal rods of the same length have their ends kept at constant temperatures
θ1 and θ2 with θ2 > θ1. If A1 and A2 are their cross-sectional areas and k1 and k2 their
thermal conductivities, the rate of flow of heat in the two rods will be the same if
a. A1/A2 = k1/ k2 b. A1/A2 = k2/ k1
c. A1/A2 = k1θ1/ k2θ2 d. A1/A2 = k2θ2/ k1θ1
22. A cylinder of radius R made of a material of thermal conductivity k 1 is surrounded by a
cylindrical shell of inner radius R and outer radius 2R made of a material of thermal
conductivity k2. The two ends of the combined system are maintained at two different
temperatures. There is no loss of heat across the cylindrical surface and the system is in
steady state. The effective thermal conductivity of the system is
a. k1 + k2 b. k1k2/(k1 + k2) c. k1 + 3k2/4 d. (3k1 + k2)/ 4
23. Two rods A and B of different materials are welded together as shown. If their thermal
conductivities are k1 and k2, the thermal conductivity of the composite rod will be
a. 2(k1 + k2) b. 3/2(k1 + k2) c. k1 + k2 d. ½( k1 + k2)

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24. Two different metal rods of equal lengths and equal areas of cross-section have their ends
kept at constant temperatures θ1 and θ2 . If k1 and k2 are their thermal conductivities and ρ1
and ρ2 their densities and s1 and s2 their specific heats, then the rate of flow of heat in the
two rods will be the same if
a. k1/ k2 = ρ1s1/ ρ2s2 b. k1/ k2 = ρ1s2/ ρ2s1
c. k1/ k2 = θ1/θ2 d. k1 = k 2
25. A solid sphere and a hollow sphere of the same material and size are heated to the same
temperature and allowed to cool in the same surroundings. If the temperature difference
between the body and the surroundings is T, then
a. both spheres will cool at the same rate for all values of T.
b. both spheres will cool at the same rate only for small values of T.
c. the hollow sphere will cool at a faster rate for all values of T.
d. the solid sphere will cool at a faster rate for all values of T.
26. A piece of metal floats on mercury. The coefficients of volume expansion of the metal and
mercury are Ƴ1 and Ƴ2 respectively. If their temperature is increased by ∆T, the fraction of
the volume of metal submerged in mercury changes by a factor
a. ( 1 + Ƴ2∆T)/( 1 + Ƴ1∆T) b. ( 1 + Ƴ2∆T)/( 1 - Ƴ1∆T)
c. ( 1 - Ƴ2∆T)/( 1 + Ƴ1∆T) d. Ƴ2/ Ƴ1
27. The temperature of a liquid does not increase during boiling. The heat energy supplied
during the process
a. increases the kinetic energy of the molecules of the liquid.
b. increases the potential energy of the molecules of the liquid.
c. increases both the kinetic energy and potential energy of the molecules.
d. is merely wasted since no increase occurs in the total energy of the molecules.
28. Which one of the following statements is NOT true about the evaporation process?
a. Evaporation takes place from the surface of a liquid at all temperatures.
b. The rate of evaporation depends upon the area of the exposed surface of the liquid,
nature of the liquid and its temperature.
c. The rate of evaporation is independent of the pressure to which the liquid is
subjected.
d. The cooling produced in evaporation is a consequence of the fact that a liquid has
latent heat.
29. Two lumps of ice join together when pressed . Which one of the following will appropriately
account for this?
a. Ice lumps have a natural affinity for each other.
b. The latent heat of fusion of ice is high.
c. The melting point of ice decreases with increase in pressure.
d. The melting point of ice increases with increase in pressure.
30. Two slabs A and B of different materials but of the same thickness are joined as shown
below. The thermal conductivities of A and B are k 1 and k2 respectively. The thermal
conductivity of the composite slab will be
a. ( k1 + k2) b. ( k1 + k2)/2
c. √(k1k2) d. 2 k1k2/( k1 + k2)
31. A composite slab consists of two slabs A and b of different materials but of the sane
thickness placed one on top of the other. The thermal conductivities of A and B are k 1 and k2
respectively. A steady temperature difference of 12 0C is maintained across the composite
slab. If k1 = k2/2, the temperature difference across slab A will be
a. 4 0C b. 8 0C c. 12 0C d. 16 0C

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32. Two spherical balls A and b made from the same material are heated to the same
temperature. They are then placed in identical surroundings. If the diameter of A is twice
that of b, the ratio of the rates of cooling of A and B will be
a. 1:1 b. 2:1 c. 4:1 d. 1:4
33. When 20 J of work was done on a gas, 40 J of heat energy was released. If the initial internal
energy of the gas was 70 J, the final internal energy will be
a. 50 J b. 60 J c. 90 J d. 110 j
34. During the adiabatic compression of 5 moles of a gas, 250 J of work was done. The change in
the internal energy will be
a. 50 J b. -150 J c. 250 J d. -250 J
35. Two rods of lengths L1 and L2 are welded together to make a composite rod of length
(L1 + L2). If the coefficients of linear expansion of the rods are α 1 and α2 respectively, the
effective coefficient of linear expansion of the composite rod will be
a. (α1 + α2)/2 b. √(α1α2) c. L1α1 + L2α2/( L1 + L2) d. √((α1 + α2)
36. Two blocks of the same thickness and thermal conductivities k 1 and k2 are placed in contact.
Their outer surfaces are kept at constant temperatures T 1and T2. If T2 > T1 and k2 > k1, the
temperature of the interface in the steady state will be
a. k2T2 + k1T1 / k2 + k1 b. k2T2 - k1T1 / k2 - k1
c. k2T1 + k1T2 / k2 + k1 d. k2T1 + k1T2 / k2 - k1
37. A metal ball immersed in alcohol weighs W1 at 0 0C and W2 at 59 0C. The coefficient of
cubical expansion of metal is less than that of alcohol. If the density of the metal is large
compared to that of alcohol then
a. W1 > W 2 b. W1 = W 2 c. W1 < W 2 d. W2 = W1/2
38. A body cools from 75 C to 65 C in 5 minutes in a room where the temperature is 25 0C. The
0 0

temperature of the body at the end of the next 5 minutes will be

a. 55 0C b. 56 0C c. 57 0C d. 580C
39. A sphere, a cube and a thin circular plate have the same mass and are made of the same
material. All of them are heated to the same temperature. The rate of cooling is
a. the maximum for the sphere and minimum for the plate.
b. the maximum for the sphere and minimum for the cube.
c. the maximum for the plate and minimum for the sphere.
d. the same for all the three.
40. In which of the following processes is the heat transfer primarily due to radiation?
a. Boiling of water
b. Land and sea breezes.
c. Heating of a metal rod placed over a flame.
d. Heating of the glass surface of an electric bulb due to current in its filament.

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