Thermal Properties of Materials

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What is thermal conductivity?
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Thermal conductivity is a measure of a material's ability to conduct heat.
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Which material typically has higher thermal conductivity: metals or non-metals?
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Metals typically have higher thermal conductivity than non-metals.
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What is the SI unit for measuring thermal conductivity?
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The SI unit for thermal conductivity is watts per meter-kelvin (W/m·K).
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Why do metals feel colder to the touch than other materials at the same temperature?
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Metals conduct heat away from the body quicker than other materials due to their high thermal conductivity, making them feel colder.
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What is thermal expansion?
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Thermal expansion is the increase in volume of a material as its temperature increases.
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What does the coefficient of thermal expansion describe?
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It describes how the size of an object changes with a change in temperature.
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Which type of materials generally have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion, solids or liquids?
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Solids generally have lower coefficients of thermal expansion than liquids.
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What is specific heat capacity?
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Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change a substance's temperature by one degree Celsius per unit mass.
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Why is water's specific heat capacity important to Earth's climate?
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Water's high specific heat capacity helps stabilize Earth's climate by absorbing and releasing heat slowly.
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What material is often used in thermal insulation due to its low thermal conductivity?
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Materials like foam or fiberglass are often used in insulation because of their low thermal conductivity.
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How does specific heat capacity affect the time it takes for a substance to heat up?
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Substances with higher specific heat capacities take longer to heat up than those with lower capacities, given the same amount of energy.
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What role does thermal conductivity play in heat exchangers?
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In heat exchangers, materials with high thermal conductivity efficiently transfer heat between two fluids.
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What is the relationship between temperature and the state of matter in terms of thermal properties?
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As temperature increases, substances may change states (solid to liquid to gas) due to increased molecular motion.
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What property of a thermometer makes it useful for measuring temperature?
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Thermometers use thermal expansion of liquids, like mercury or alcohol, to measure temperature changes.
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How do engineers use knowledge of thermal properties when selecting materials for constructing bridges?
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Engineers choose materials with appropriate thermal expansion properties to manage size changes due to temperature variations.
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