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AP® Physics 2: Algebra-Based · Unit 9 · Topic 9.5

Specific Heat and Thermal Conductivity: Topic Checklist (Physics 2 9.5)

Specific “I can…” statements for specific heat and thermal conductivity, each linked to the guide section and practice question that shows whether you can really do it.

Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.

Understanding

  • I can explain what specific heat means and why a material with a high c changes temperature slowly. (Guide: “Energy to change temperature”; Practice Q1)
  • I can explain why specific heat is a property of the material, not of the object, and link it to the atoms and how they interact. (Guide: “Why materials have different specific heats”)
  • I can explain why objects in thermal contact in an insulated container reach one common temperature, and why the total energy stays the same. (Guide: “Thermal equilibrium and mixing”; Practice Q2)
  • I can explain why metals conduct far better than wood, glass or still air, and why a metal feels colder than wood at the same temperature. (Guide: “Why thermal conductivity depends on the material”; Practice Q4)

Calculation and skills

  • I can use Q = mcΔT to find Q, m, c or ΔT, using a temperature change rather than a temperature. (Practice Q1, Q5)
  • I can combine Q = PΔt with Q = mcΔT to find a heating time or the fraction of energy that reaches an object. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q5)
  • I can find c from the slope of a temperature–energy or temperature–time graph. (Guide: Figure 1 and Worked example 1; Practice Q6b)
  • I can find the final temperature when two objects reach thermal equilibrium, and check that it lies between the starting temperatures. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q2)
  • I can calculate a rate of conduction with Q/Δt = kAΔT/L and predict factors of change when A, L or ΔT change. (Guide: Worked example 3; Practice Q3)

Reasoning

  • I can plan an experiment to measure a specific heat, including how to reduce energy losses. (Practice Q6a)
  • I can explain whether energy losses make a measured c too large or too small. (Guide: Worked example 1 check; Practice Q6c)
  • I can explain why the rate is the same through each layer of a wall in steady state, and use it to find a boundary temperature. (Practice Q7)

All ticked? Move on to Topic 9.6, Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, or return to the course roadmap.

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