IP Physics Notes (Upper Secondary, Year 3-4): 9) Thermal Physics
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Temperature scales, kinetic theory, gas laws (Boyle's, Charles' Law experiment), heat transfer, and specific heat/latent heat calculations for IP Physics.
Last updated 30 Nov 2025
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- Start Here
- Temperature & Thermometry
- Kinetic Model of Matter
- Transfer of Thermal Energy
Q: What does IP Physics Notes (Upper Secondary, Year 3-4): 9) Thermal Physics cover?
A: Temperature scales, kinetic theory, heat transfer pathways, and specific heat/latent heat calculations for IP students.
Quick recap -- Temperature tracks particle kinetic energy, while heating changes the internal energy of matter through conduction, convection, or radiation. Quantify changes with specific heat and latent heat relations.
Start Here
| Read time | What to take away |
| 1 second | Heating changes internal energy; temperature tracks average particle kinetic energy. |
| 10 seconds | Use conduction, convection, and radiation for transfer pathways. Use specific heat when temperature changes, and latent heat when state changes at constant temperature. |
| 100 seconds | Work through the aluminium and phase-change examples to practise choosing (Q = mc\Delta\theta) or (Q = m\ell), then explaining the particle model behind the calculation. |
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These notes align with SEAB GCE O-Level Physics (6091) content used in IP programmes (exams from 2026).
Status: SEAB O-Level Physics 6091 syllabus (exams from 2026) checked 2025-11-30 - scope unchanged; remains the reference for these notes.
Temperature & Thermometry
- Temperature: measure of hotness, proportional to average kinetic energy of particles; SI base unit kelvin (K).
- Convert:
