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Thermal Properties of Matter — NEET & JEE MCQs with answers
This chapter covers heat and temperature: thermometric scales, the ideal-gas equation and absolute temperature, thermal expansion of solids/liquids/gases, specific heat capacity, calorimetry, latent heat during phase changes, and the three modes of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) including Newton's law of cooling and Wien's displacement law.
Topics in this chapter
- 10.1 Introduction
- 10.2 Temperature and Heat
- 10.3 Measurement of Temperature
- 10.4 Ideal-Gas Equation and Absolute Temperature
- 10.5 Thermal Expansion
- 10.6 Specific Heat Capacity
- 10.7 Calorimetry
- 10.8 Change of State
- 10.9 Heat Transfer
- 10.10 Newton's Law of Cooling
Free practice questions
A liquid cools from 70 °C to 60 °C in 5 minutes with surroundings at 30 °C. Using the NCERT mean-temperature method for Newton's law of cooling, the value of the cooling constant K (per minute) is approximately:
- A. About 2.0 per minute
- B. About 0.057 per minute
- C. About 0.20 per minute
- D. About 35 per minute
Show answer
Answer: B — Mean temperature = (70+60)/2 = 65 °C, excess over surroundings = 65 − 30 = 35 °C. Drop = 10 °C in 5 min, so rate = 10/5 = 2 °C/min = K × 35. Thus K = 2/35 ≈ 0.057 per minute.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · Newton's Law of Cooling
The relation between the coefficient of volume expansion $\alpha_v$ and the coefficient of linear expansion $\alpha_l$ is:
- A. $\alpha_v = 3\alpha_l$
- B. $\alpha_v = \alpha_l / 3$
- C. $\alpha_v = \alpha_l$
- D. $\alpha_v = 2\alpha_l$
Show answer
Answer: A — From Eq. 10.9, $\alpha_v = 3\alpha_l$, derived by considering a cube expanding equally in all directions.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · 10.5 Thermal Expansion
Two bodies P and Q are placed in contact. Heat flows from P to Q. Which of the following must be true?
- A. P has a larger volume than Q
- B. P is at a higher temperature than Q
- C. P has a greater mass than Q
- D. P is darker in colour than Q
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Answer: B — NCERT: heat flows from a body at higher temperature to one at lower temperature by virtue of temperature difference. If heat flows from P to Q, then P is at a higher temperature than Q. Mass, volume, and colour do not determine the direction of heat flow.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · Thermal Properties of Matter
Convert −173 °C to the Kelvin scale (use $T = t_C + 273.15$, round to nearest integer):
- A. 446 K
- B. 173 K
- C. −100 K
- D. 100 K
Show answer
Answer: D — $T = -173 + 273.15 = 100.15 \approx 100$ K.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · 10.4 Ideal-Gas Equation and Absolute Temperature
The latent heat of vaporisation of water is:
- A. $22.6 \times 10^{5}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}$
- B. $2.26 \times 10^{5}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}$
- C. $3.33 \times 10^{5}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}$
- D. $22.6 \times 10^{3}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}$
Show answer
Answer: A — NCERT 10.8.1: for water Lv = 22.6 × 10⁵ J kg⁻¹.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · 10.8.1 Latent Heat
The NCERT Introduction lists several real-life puzzles to be explained in the chapter. Which of the following is one of them?
- A. Why a prism splits white light
- B. Why a charged comb attracts paper bits
- C. Why planets move in elliptical orbits
- D. Why a blacksmith heats an iron ring before fitting it on a wooden wheel rim
Show answer
Answer: D — NCERT Introduction explicitly mentions 'why blacksmiths heat the iron ring before fitting on the rim of a wooden wheel of a horse cart.' This is one of the real-life puzzles previewed in the Introduction.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · Introduction
Liquid-in-glass thermometers (using mercury or alcohol) work because the volume of the liquid varies with temperature in what manner over a wide range?
- A. It does not vary at all
- B. Exponentially
- C. Inversely
- D. Linearly
Show answer
Answer: D — NCERT: in common liquid-in-glass thermometers, mercury, alcohol etc. are used whose volume varies linearly with temperature over a wide range.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · Thermal Properties of Matter
Which of the following is an example of FORCED convection?
- A. The human circulatory system driven by the heart
- B. Sea breeze near a body of water
- C. Warm air rising over heated ground
- D. Trade winds blowing towards the equator
Show answer
Answer: A — Forced convection occurs when material is moved by a pump or physical means. Examples include forced-air heating, the human circulatory system (heart as pump), and an automobile engine's cooling system.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · 10.9.2 Convection
A 0.047 kg aluminium sphere at 100 °C is cooled to 23 °C. The heat released by it is (s_Al = 900 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹):
- A. 4230 J
- B. 42.3 J
- C. 973 J
- D. 3257 J
Show answer
Answer: D — $\Delta T = 100-23 = 77$ K, $\Delta Q = m s \Delta T = 0.047 \times 900 \times 77 = 3257.1\ \text{J} \approx 3257\ \text{J}$.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · 10.6 Specific Heat Capacity (Table 10.3)
Following NCERT Example 10.3: a 0.047 kg aluminium sphere at 100 °C is transferred to a 0.14 kg copper calorimeter containing 0.25 kg water at 20 °C, and the steady-state temperature is 23 °C. Using s(water) = 4.18 × 10³ J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ and s(copper) = 0.386 × 10³ J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹, the specific heat capacity of aluminium is approximately:
- A. 2.10 kJ kg⁻¹ K⁻¹
- B. 0.386 kJ kg⁻¹ K⁻¹
- C. 0.911 kJ kg⁻¹ K⁻¹
- D. 4.18 kJ kg⁻¹ K⁻¹
Show answer
Answer: C — Heat lost by Al = heat gained by water + calorimeter. 0.047·s(Al)·(100−23) = (0.25×4180 + 0.14×386)(23−20). RHS = (1045 + 54.04)(3) = 3297.1 J. LHS = 0.047×77×s(Al) = 3.619 s(Al). So s(Al) ≈ 911 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ = 0.911 kJ kg⁻¹ K⁻¹.
NCERT Class 11 Physics · Ch 10 · 10.7 Example 10.3
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