Heat transfer questions (challenging)
A GCSE physics or combined science worksheet to stretch students targeting the top grades. To answer these heat transfer questions, they should already have a good grasp of heat transfer mechanisms.
This resource can also help to develop disciplinary literacy skills as it involves extracting information from text and includes a long-answer SPaG question.
The worksheet includes three questions, with answers, in the style of the GCSE exam.
The first is based on the design of houses on the Greek island of Santorini and requires students to explain how a house’s white surface reflects infrared radiation, leading to slower heat transfer and reducing the amount of heat entering the house, while the flat roof reduces the surface area available for the transfer of heat energy. The question also involves drawing a cross-section diagram of pumice stone and understanding the role of air as a thermal insulator, preventing conduction and reducing the rate of convection.
The second question is in the context of double glazing and the use of plastic in window frames because of its low thermal conductivity.
The final question tests students’ understanding of convection currents – in particular, how rising hot air in thermals keeps a bird or a glider aloft.
Question 3 from the worksheet:
Gliders are small aircraft that don’t usually have engines. They gain height by riding thermals*, just like some birds of prey. In the space below, explain what convection is and how it can keep a glider up in the air. Use as much detail as you can and include a diagram. There is a bonus mark for the quality of your writing.
*Hint: a thermal = a patch of warm air
