Question 1

Efficiency is

Accepted Answer

A)  the ratio of energy output to energy input. 
B)  the ratio of energy input to energy output. 
C)  the term used in describing heat energy. 
D)  a rating scale for combustion engines. 
E)  directly proportional to radiation. 
A)  the ratio of energy output to energy input. 
B)  the ratio of energy input to energy output. 
C)  the term used in describing heat energy. 
D)  a rating scale for combustion engines. 
E)  directly proportional to radiation.

Question 2

How did the study of heat in the nineteenth century lead to the discovery of the second law of thermodynamics?

Accepted Answer

Heat is a consequence of the m

Question 3

Which type of heat transfer occurs in a fluid?

Accepted Answer

A)  convection 
B)  conduction 
C)  radiation 
D)  convection and conduction 
E)  conduction and radiation 
A)  convection 
B)  conduction 
C)  radiation 
D)  convection and conduction 
E)  conduction and radiation

Question 4

Which statement best represents the second law of thermodynamics?

Accepted Answer

A)  Heat will not flow spontaneously from a hot to a cold body. 
B)  Every isolated system becomes more disordered with time. 
C)  Scientists have constructed an engine that does nothing but convert heat to useful work. 
D)  The total amount of energy in the universe is constant. 
E)  Energy may change from one form to another over and over again. 
A)  Heat will not flow spontaneously from a hot to a cold body. 
B)  Every isolated system becomes more disordered with time. 
C)  Scientists have constructed an engine that does nothing but convert heat to useful work. 
D)  The total amount of energy in the universe is constant. 
E)  Energy may change from one form to another over and over again.

Question 5

Which statement is true about both heat and temperature?

Accepted Answer

A)  Heat and temperature are not synonymous to scientists. 
B)  A large quantity of boiling water and a small quantity of boiling water contain the same amount of heat energy. 
C)  The larger the temperature difference between two objects, the more slowly heat energy will be transferred from one to the other. 
D)  A large quantity of boiling water and a small quantity of boiling water cannot ever be at the same temperature. 
E)  Heat and temperature are basically the same thing, even in the world of science. 
A)  Heat and temperature are not synonymous to scientists. 
B)  A large quantity of boiling water and a small quantity of boiling water contain the same amount of heat energy. 
C)  The larger the temperature difference between two objects, the more slowly heat energy will be transferred from one to the other. 
D)  A large quantity of boiling water and a small quantity of boiling water cannot ever be at the same temperature. 
E)  Heat and temperature are basically the same thing, even in the world of science.

Question 6

The heat island effect in cities creates convection cells

Accepted Answer

A)  by drawing in cool moist air from the suburbs. 
B)  from cool concrete, which conducts heat from the Earth. 
C)  which are usually too small to affect temperature. 
D)  which result in less rain falling in cities than in the surrounding areas. 
E)  which do not affect the weather in any way that can be measured. 
A)  by drawing in cool moist air from the suburbs. 
B)  from cool concrete, which conducts heat from the Earth. 
C)  which are usually too small to affect temperature. 
D)  which result in less rain falling in cities than in the surrounding areas. 
E)  which do not affect the weather in any way that can be measured.

Question 7

What do all thermometers have in common?

Accepted Answer

A)  digital display mode 
B)  having some mercury inside 
C)  work only when upside down 
D)  measure temperature by radiation 
E)  materials inside expand when heated 
A)  digital display mode 
B)  having some mercury inside 
C)  work only when upside down 
D)  measure temperature by radiation 
E)  materials inside expand when heated

Question 8

Insulation in the attic is used to reduce heat loss by

Accepted Answer

A)  conduction. 
B)  convection. 
C)  radiation. 
D)  efficiency. 
E)  heat death. 
A)  conduction. 
B)  convection. 
C)  radiation. 
D)  efficiency. 
E)  heat death.

Question 9

Why, after you get sunburned and you enter an air-conditioned building do you feel especially cold? Your answer should take into account the fact that blood vessels near the surface of your skin have dilated, allowing blood to move to the area of skin damage and begin repairs.

Accepted Answer

As the blood near the skin's s

Question 10

Is all the energy in gasoline used to run the car? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

No. Some of the energy is used in ways t

Question 11

What is the nature of molecular motion at absolute zero?

Accepted Answer

At absolute zero, molecules po

Question 12

Which of these best defines maximum theoretical efficiency?

Accepted Answer

A)  Efficiency (%) = [(Thot -Tcold) /Thot] x 100. 
B)  Efficiency compares the difference in temperature between two reservoirs with the temperature in the colder temperature reservoir. 
C)  Efficiency defines the amount of energy available to do work. 
D)  Efficiency (%) = [Thot - Tcold] x 100. 
E)  Efficiency relates the final temperature to the initial temperature as a percent. 
A)  Efficiency (%) = [(Thot -Tcold) /Thot] x 100. 
B)  Efficiency compares the difference in temperature between two reservoirs with the temperature in the colder temperature reservoir. 
C)  Efficiency defines the amount of energy available to do work. 
D)  Efficiency (%) = [Thot - Tcold] x 100. 
E)  Efficiency relates the final temperature to the initial temperature as a percent.

Question 13

Explain why radiation is the only form of heat transfer energy that can travel through the emptiness of space.

Accepted Answer

Radiation involves heat transfer by elec

Question 14

How does the human body maintain its temperature?

Accepted Answer

When the body temperature rises, blood v

Question 15

How can a freezer make ice if heat will not spontaneously flow from a cold body (freezer air) to a warm body (water in ice cube trays)?

Accepted Answer

Heat can be made to flow from a cold bod

Question 16

Is the arrangement of chairs or desks within the classroom an ordered or disordered system? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

If the chairs or desks are arranged in s

Question 17

At which temperature does all atomic motion stop?

Accepted Answer

A)  -273 °F 
B)  -460 °C 
C)  -273 °C 
D)  460 °F 
E)  -273 K 
A)  -273 °F 
B)  -460 °C 
C)  -273 °C 
D)  460 °F 
E)  -273 K

Question 18

How many different ways are there to arrange 10 colored balls in a row?

Accepted Answer

Multiply 10 times 9, then time

Question 19

Which of the following is most like an ordered system?

Accepted Answer

A)  billiard balls after the "break" 
B)  location of fish in a river 
C)  the spacing of eggs in a full carton 
D)  cars in a multi-car collision 
E)  the diffusion of perfume molecules through a room 
A)  billiard balls after the "break" 
B)  location of fish in a river 
C)  the spacing of eggs in a full carton 
D)  cars in a multi-car collision 
E)  the diffusion of perfume molecules through a room

Question 20

Which would be the least effective insulation for your house?

Accepted Answer

A)  a meter-thick layer of trapped air 
B)  a thin sheet of metal 
C)  thick bundles of straw or wool 
D)  a thin layer of wood 
E)  a single wall of cinder block 
A)  a meter-thick layer of trapped air 
B)  a thin sheet of metal 
C)  thick bundles of straw or wool 
D)  a thin layer of wood 
E)  a single wall of cinder block

Exam 4: Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Efficiency is

How did the study of heat in the nineteenth century lead to the discovery of the second law of thermodynamics?

Which type of heat transfer occurs in a fluid?

Which statement best represents the second law of thermodynamics?

Which statement is true about both heat and temperature?

The heat island effect in cities creates convection cells

What do all thermometers have in common?

Insulation in the attic is used to reduce heat loss by

Why, after you get sunburned and you enter an air-conditioned building do you feel especially cold? Your answer should take into account the fact that blood vessels near the surface of your skin have dilated, allowing blood to move to the area of skin damage and begin repairs.

Is all the energy in gasoline used to run the car? Explain your answer.

What is the nature of molecular motion at absolute zero?

Which of these best defines maximum theoretical efficiency?

Explain why radiation is the only form of heat transfer energy that can travel through the emptiness of space.

How does the human body maintain its temperature?

How can a freezer make ice if heat will not spontaneously flow from a cold body (freezer air) to a warm body (water in ice cube trays)?

Is the arrangement of chairs or desks within the classroom an ordered or disordered system? Explain your answer.

At which temperature does all atomic motion stop?

How many different ways are there to arrange 10 colored balls in a row?

Which of the following is most like an ordered system?

Which would be the least effective insulation for your house?

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

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