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Specific Heat Capacity and Latent Heat Questions - GCSE standard

Q10. Johnny investigated the thermal conductivity of different metals.

This is the method he used:

1. Measure the mass of an ice cube.

2. Put the ice cube on a metal block which is at room temperature.

3. Measure the mass of the ice cube after one minute.

4. Repeat with other blocks of the same mass made from different metals.

Here are Johnny's results:

Metal
Initial mass of ice cube /g
Final mass of ice cube /g

Change in mass of ice cube /g
Aluminium
25.85
21.14
4.71
Copper
26.20
20.27
5.93
Lead
25.53
21.97
3.56
Steel
24.95
19.45
5.50

 

(a) The initial temperature of each ice cube was –15 °C

Choose one of the following sentences, by ticking the box, to explain why was it important that the initial temperature of each ice cube was the same.

Initial temperature was a continuous variable.  
Initial temperature was a control variable.  
Initial temperature was the dependent variable.  
Initial temperature was the independent variable.  

 

[1 mark]

(b) Which metal had the highest thermal conductivity? Give a reason for your answer.

[2 marks]

(c) Suggest one source of random error in the student's investigation.

[1 mark]

(d) An ice cube has a temperature of –15.0 °C

The total thermal energy needed to raise the temperature of this ice cube to 0.0 °C and completely melt the ice cube is 5848 J

Given that:

specific heat capacity of ice = 2100 J/kg °C

specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 334 000 J/kg

Calculate the mass of the ice cube.

[5 marks]

(9 marks total)