Question bank: Heat and Temperature

Some animals have adaptations to maintain thermal balance, such as: the subcutaneous fat layer of bears, the feathers of birds, and the fur of terrestrial mammals. Which of these adaptations has the main function of maintaining the animal in thermal balance?

The zeroth law of thermodynamics establishes an absolute scale to measure the temperature of ideal gases (i.e., perfectly diluted gases). This means that these gases cannot have their temperatures measured in relation to other known gases (such as air), as each gas has its own characteristics and behavior when heated or cooled. What absolute scale is determined by the zeroth law of thermodynamics?

During a science class, a student brings a mercury thermometer to school. He checks that the room temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. Then, the student holds the thermometer with one hand and notices that it starts to slowly warm up. The teacher explains that the heat transferred to the thermometer causes the mercury to expand, showing a higher temperature value. What is the name of the phenomenon that the thermometer is demonstrating when registering a higher temperature reading even though the environment has not become warmer? Briefly explain how the concept of heat is related to temperature reading in terms of thermal sensation.

During a class on heat and temperature, students observe an experiment in which a metal block and an equal amount of water are heated under the same heat source. After a few minutes, the temperature of the metal block is measured at 100°C, while the temperature of the water is measured at 70°C. Considering that the room temperature is 25°C, and that the metal block and water are thermally isolated after heating, discuss how the heat transferred to the metal block and to the water is related to the material properties of these bodies and explain why, despite receiving the same amount of heat, the metal block reaches a higher temperature than the water. In your argument, consider the thermal capacity and specific heat of each substance, as well as the laws of thermodynamics that govern the heat transfer process.

In a laboratory experiment, a group of students is investigating the heat transfer between bodies at different temperatures. They have a metal block initially at 100°C and a container of water at 20°C, both thermally insulated to prevent heat exchange with the surroundings. The ability to 'Understand what heat, temperature, and thermal sensation are, differentiating them from each other and analyzing them in various contexts' will be applied to answer the following questions. 1. Explain, based on the concepts of heat and temperature, to which of the two bodies, the metal block or the water, there will be a greater heat transfer until both reach the same temperature. 2. Discuss how thermal sensation can be affected by the air temperature, even if the thermometer indicates a constant value. Use a practical example to illustrate your answer.