plumiChanges of state and specific heat capacity: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions
Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Changes of state and specific heat capacity (specification points 14.5–14.11), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
All papers
Exam
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Calculations
Q3(a)
The whole paper ↗Q3(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)
The whole paper ↗Q6(a)
The whole paper ↗Q6(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q6(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(d)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(c)
The whole paper ↗Q6(d)
The whole paper ↗Q2(a)
The whole paper ↗Q6(a)
The whole paper ↗Q2(d)
The whole paper ↗Q6(a)
The whole paper ↗Q6(b)
The whole paper ↗Q6(d)
The whole paper ↗
All 40 questions on Changes of state and specific heat capacity, as a list
- June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a) (1 mark): Between which two points is all the wax liquid? (1) A P and Q B P and R C Q and S D R and S
- June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q3(c)(iii) (3 marks): Explain why, using Figure 4, the time from R to S is much shorter than the time from Q to R on the graph in Figure 3. (3)
- June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(i) (2 marks): A student heats an aluminium block, as shown in Figure 4. 12 V supply thermometer aluminium block heater Figure 4 The aluminium block has a mass of 0.96 kg. The
- June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest one way the student could reduce the energy loss from the aluminium block during the experiment. (1)
- June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(iii) (1 mark): The thermometer does not show the maximum temperature reached by the aluminium block until some time after the heater is switched off. Give one reason for this.
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q2(c) (2 marks): A student boils some water. Calculate the amount of thermal energy needed to change 60.0 g of water to steam at its boiling point. The specific latent heat of v
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a) (1 mark): Which of these changes of state describes sublimation? (1) A from gas to liquid B from liquid to solid C from solid to gas D from solid to liquid
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(c)(i) (2 marks): Use this data to calculate the increase in temperature of the brick. (2) temperature increase = °C
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(c)(ii) (2 marks): The actual temperature increase will be smaller than you calculated in (i). Explain why the actual temperature increase will be smaller than the value in (i). (
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(d) (6 marks): Describe an investigation to determine the value for the specific heat capacity of water. Your answer should include details of • the apparatus needed • the exp
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Using data from the table in Figure 9, calculate the increase in temperature of the milk. (1) increase in temperature = °C
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): Using data from the table in Figure 9, calculate the specific heat capacity of the milk. Use the equation change in thermal energy specific heat capacity = mass
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(c) (2 marks): A student boils some water. Calculate the amount of thermal energy needed to change 60.0 g of water to steam at its boiling point. The specific latent heat of v
- June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(d) (6 marks): A student is investigating the melting of ice. The student has some crushed ice in a beaker at a temperature of −20 °C. The student heats the beaker and its con
- June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q2(a) (1 mark): Which of these means changing state from solid directly to gas? (1) A condensing B freezing C melting D sublimating
- June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(a) (1 mark): Which of these means changing state from solid directly to gas? (1) A condensing B freezing C melting D sublimating
- June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q2(d) (2 marks): Describe what happens when a substance experiences sublimation. (2)
- June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a) (2 marks): Explain the difference between the term ‘specific heat capacity’ and the term ‘specific latent heat’ when applied to heating substances. (2)
- June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b) (3 marks): Figure 10 shows some apparatus that may be used to determine the specific heat capacity of water. J thermometer power supply Joulemeter stirrer water heater Fig
- June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(d) (6 marks): A student needs to determine the specific heat capacity of water. Figure 12 shows some of the equipment the student uses. beaker of water low voltage heater Fig
- November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the amount of thermal energy supplied to the water by the kettle. Give your answer to the appropriate number of significant figures. Use an equation s
- November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(ii) (3 marks): The kettle is kept switched on and the water continues to boil. After a while, the mass of the water in the kettle has decreased to 1.21 kg. The thermal energy
- November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b) (6 marks): This question is about determining the specific heat capacity of aluminium. An aluminium block is placed in boiling water as shown in Figure 10. piece of string
- November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate a value for the specific heat capacity of copper, using these results. Use the equation change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × cha
- November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(ii) (2 marks): The value for the specific heat capacity of copper obtained from the student’s results is lower than the correct value. State two ways that the experiment could
- November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate a value for the specific heat capacity of copper, using these results. Use the equation change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × cha
- November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(ii) (2 marks): The value for the specific heat capacity of copper obtained from the student’s results is lower than the correct value. State two ways that the experiment could
- November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c) (2 marks): A long piece of wire is made into a coil as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 The coil is connected to a low voltage power supply. Describe how this coil could be u
- June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q4(b)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the temperature of the water before it was heated. Use an equation selected from the list of equations at the end of this paper. (3) temperature befor
- June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): The heating continues until 0.15 kg of the water has turned into steam. The thermal energy needed to turn the boiling water into steam is 0.34 MJ. Calculate the
- June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a) (1 mark): Solid, liquid and gas are states of matter. Which process describes the change from a solid to a liquid? (1) A melting B freezing C evaporation D condensation
- June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(i) (2 marks): Figure 6 shows an electric kettle. on-off switch water heating element Figure 6 The kettle contains 1.5 kg of water. The kettle is switched on. Calculate the en
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (4 marks): State the measurements needed to calculate the specific heat capacity of water. (4)
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): State two ways that the apparatus could be adapted to improve the procedure. (2) 1 2
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b) (1 mark): The student decides to measure the temperature of the water every minute while it is being heated. Figure 2 shows a graph of the student’s results. 110 100 90 8
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(c) (2 marks): Another student decides to melt some ice. The student melts 380 g of ice at 0 °C. The specific latent heat of fusion of ice is 3.34 × 105 J/kg. Calculate the th
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (4 marks): State the measurements needed to calculate the specific heat capacity of water. (4)
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): State two ways that the apparatus could be adapted to improve the procedure. (2) 1 2
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b) (1 mark): The student decides to measure the temperature of the water every minute while it is being heated. Figure 9 shows a graph of the student’s results. 110 100 90 8
- June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c) (2 marks): Another student decides to melt some ice. The student melts 380 g of ice at 0 °C. The specific latent heat of fusion of ice is 3.34 × 105 J/kg. Calculate the th
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