Heat, Temperature & Thermal Energy – MCQ Worksheets | Multiple Choice Questions – Physics

Heat, Temperature & Thermal Energy (physics) – 6 sets of worksheets with answer. These contain MCQ & other exercises. Great for high school syllabus & preparation for competitive examinations (International and National level exams like UPSC, PSC)

Temperature and Heat – MCQ Worksheet (with answer) – set 1

  1. If two objects have the same mass, the object with the higher temperature always
    a. has greater thermal energy.
    b. has higher specific heat.
    c. feels warmer.
    d. two of the above
  2. Which of the following statements about temperature is true?
    a. Temperature measures heat.
    b. Temperature measures kinetic energy.
    c. Temperature is the same thing as heat.
    d. Temperature is the same thing as thermal energy.
  3. If a bucket full of water and a cup full of water have the same temperature, then the water in the
    a. bucket and cup have the same thermal energy.
    b. bucket has greater thermal energy.
    c. cup has lower average kinetic energy.
    d. cup has lower specific heat.
  4. The thermal energy of an object depends on its
    a. mass.
    b. temperature.
    c. specific heat.
    d. two of the above
  5. If you put a cool spoon into a cup of hot coffee, the temperature of the spoon rises because
    a. thermal energy is transferred from the coffee to the spoon.
    b. specific heat is transferred from the coffee to the spoon.
    c. particles of the spoon gain kinetic energy.
    d. two of the above
  6. Which of the following materials has the greatest specific heat?
    a. iron
    b. sand
    c. wood
    d. water
  7. A material with greater specific heat
    a. warms up more quickly.
    b. requires less energy to get hot.
    c. always has a higher temperature.
    d. none of the above

Answers to MCQ Worksheet (set 1)

Transfer of Thermal Energy – MCQ Worksheet (with answer) – set 2

  1. A pot resting on a hot stovetop heats up because of
    a. convection.
    b. conduction.
    c. radiation.
    d. all of the above
  2. Your hand feels cold when you hold an ice cube because
    a. the ice radiates cold to your hand.
    b. the ice conducts cold to your hand.
    c. your hand cools down by convection.
    d. your hand transfers thermal energy to the ice.
  3. In which of the following materials does conduction occur most quickly?
    a. iron
    b. wood
    c. plastic
    d. oxygen
  4. Examples of thermal insulators include
    a. down feathers.
    b. Styrofoam.
    c. air.
    d. all of the above
  5. The transfer of thermal energy by convection occurs only in
    a. gases.
    b. solids.
    c. fluids.
    d. liquids.
  6. Thermal energy is transferred throughout the ocean by
    a. radiation.
    b. conduction.
    c. thermal conductors.
    d. convection currents.
  7. A sea breeze blows
    a. toward the land.
    b. toward the sea.
    c. only at night.
    d. during both day and night.
See also IGCSE Physics worksheets | GCSE Physics problems | Physics questions - worksheet

Answers to MCQ Worksheet (set 2)

Usage of Thermal Energy – MCQ Worksheet (with answer) – set 3

  1. Types of home heating systems include
    a. warm-air heating systems.
    b. hot-water heating systems.
    c. solar heating systems.
    d. all of the above
  2. How is thermal energy transferred in a refrigerator?
    a. from the warm kitchen to the cool refrigerator
    b. from the cool refrigerator to the warm kitchen
    c. from the cool refrigerator to the cold outdoors
    d. two of the above
  3. Why must a cooling system do work to keep things cool?
    a. It transfers thermal energy from a cooler to a warmer place.
    b. It takes energy to reverse the normal direction of heat flow.
    c. It takes energy to maintain the normal direction of heat flow.
    d. two of the above
  4. What happens to the refrigerant as it passes through a cooling system?
    a. It freezes and lowers the temperature of the system.
    b. It changes between liquid and gaseous states.
    c. It releases thermal energy into the refrigerator.
    d. It keeps evaporating and has to be replaced.
  5. In an external combustion engine, thermal energy is used directly to
    a. move the piston back and forth.
    b. move the piston up and down.
    c. turn water into steam.
    d. all of the above
  6. What happens first in an internal combustion engine?
    a. Exhaust gases exit the cylinder.
    b. The piston moves up or down.
    c. A fuel-air mixture enters the cylinder.
    d. The piston rod turns the crankshaft.
  7. Thermal energy from a radiator travels throughout the air in a room by
    a. conduction.
    b. convection.
    c. radiation.
    d. all of the above
See also Surface Tension & Surface Energy - MCQ worksheets

Answers to MCQ Worksheet (set 3)

Match the definition with a term – Matching worksheet from Temperature and Heat chapter (set 4)

Matching Assignment:
 Match each definition with the correct term .

Definitions
1. device for measuring temperature
2. total kinetic energy of particles of matter
3. amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 °C
4. average kinetic energy of particles of matter
5. scale for measuring temperature
6. transfer of thermal energy between objects with different temperatures
7. measure that affects the thermal energy of matter but not its temperature

Terms
a. thermal energy
b. heat
c. temperature
d. thermometer
e. mass
f. Celsius
g. specific heat

Answer – Matching Assignment (set 4)

Match the definition with a term – Matching worksheet from Transfer of Thermal Energy (set 5)

Matching Assignment:
 Match each definition with the correct term .

Definitions
1. material that allows little if any conduction of thermal energy
2. transfer of thermal energy by waves that can travel through space
3. flow of particles in a fluid due to differences in temperature and density
4. material that is good at transferring thermal energy by conduction
5. amount of mass in a given volume of matter
6. transfer of thermal energy between particles of matter that are touching
7. transfer of thermal energy by particles moving through a fluid

Terms
a. conduction
b. thermal conductor
c. convection
d. thermal insulator
e. radiation
f. convection current
g. density

Answer – Matching Assignment (set 5)

Match the definition with a term – Matching worksheet from Usage of Thermal Energy chapter (set 6)

Matching Assignment:
 Match each definition with the correct term .

See also Orbital speed & Escape speed - worksheet

Definitions

1. substance that absorbs and releases thermal energy in a cooling system
2. device in a heating system that controls the furnace or boiler
3. complex machine that produces thermal energy outside the machine and uses the thermal energy to do
work
4. heating system that includes a boiler, pipes, and radiators
5. complex machine that produces thermal energy inside the machine and uses the thermal energy to do work
6. refrigerator or air conditioner
7. heating system that includes a furnace, ducts, and vents

Terms

a. internal combustion engine
b. cooling system
c. refrigerant
d. warm-air heating system
e. external combustion engine
f. hot-water heating system
g. thermostat

Answer – Matching Assignment (set 6)

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