Thermal properties and transfer

About this lab: Thermal properties and transfer

Interactive simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 topics 2.2 Thermal properties and temperature and 2.3 Transfer of thermal energy: heat water, oil, aluminium or copper with a known power to find the specific heat capacity from E = mcΔθ, heat ice through melting and boiling on a heating curve with the flat latent-heat sections, watch the fastest particles escape a liquid and see what speeds up evaporation, heat one end of a copper, steel, glass or wooden rod to compare conduction, a convection current in a beaker or a heated room, thermal radiation from matt black, white and shiny surfaces, a cup of tea cooling towards equilibrium, and the design of a vacuum flask, house insulation, a car radiator and a solar water heater.

IGCSE Physics 0625, topics 2.2 and 2.3. Specific heat capacity, changes of state, evaporation, conduction, convection, radiation, energy balance and the designs that use them.

Thermal properties and transfer is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 (topic 2 Thermal physics, sections 2.2 Thermal properties and temperature, 2.3 Transfer of thermal energy). The course is assessed in Papers 1 and 2 (multiple choice), 3 and 4 (theory), 5 (practical test) and 6 (alternative to practical). There are 8 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.

Syllabus coverage

• 2.2.1 Describe, qualitatively, the thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases at constant pressure
• 2.2.1 Describe some of the everyday applications and consequences of thermal expansion
• 2.2.2 Know that a rise in the temperature of an object increases its internal energy
• 2.2.3 Describe melting and boiling in terms of energy input without a change in temperature
• 2.3.1 Describe experiments to demonstrate the properties of good thermal conductors and bad thermal conductors (thermal insulators)
• 2.3.2 Know that convection is an important method of thermal energy transfer in liquids and gases
• 2.3.3 Know that thermal radiation is infrared radiation and that all objects emit this radiation
• 2.3.4 Explain some of the basic everyday applications and consequences of conduction, convection and radiation, including: (a) heating objects such as kitchen pans (b) heating a room by convection
• Lessons on this topic: Thermal expansion of solids, liquids, and gases, Specific heat capacity: c = ΔE ÷ (mΔθ), Melting, boiling, evaporation, and condensation, Evaporation: rate factors and cooling effect, Conduction in solids: free electrons and lattice vibrations.

Full syllabus map: IGCSE Physics 0625 topic 2.

How to use this simulation

1. 1. Specific heat capacity.
2. 2. Changes of state.
3. 3. Evaporation.
4. 4. Conduction.
5. 5. Convection.
6. 6. Radiation.
7. 7. Energy balance.
8. 8. Applications.
9. The buttons at the end of the tab strip give the scene the whole window (Full screen, Hide controls) and, on a dark stage, a projector-friendly palette (Light scene). Many scenes also have drag handles: drag them to change the set-up directly.

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