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Some students repeat Herschel's experiment - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 3 - 2013 - Paper 1
Question 3
Some students repeat Herschel's experiment. (a) They place four identical thermometers, P, Q, R and S, in the shade. The table shows some of the readings on the th... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Some students repeat Herschel's experiment - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 3 - 2013 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
State why the bulbs of the thermometers are painted black.
Answer
The bulbs are painted black because black is the best absorber of radiation/heat compared to other colors. This allows for more accurate readings of temperature as they will absorb more heat from the surrounding environment.
Step 3
Describe conclusions that can be made from the students’ results.
Answer
From the results, it can be concluded that different colors in the spectrum of sunlight cause variations in temperature readings. Thermometer P is the hottest at 25 °C, while thermometer S is the coolest at 20 °C. This indicates that red light has more heating effect compared to blue or violet light, which are on the cooler end of the spectrum. Additionally, there is also a radiation effect beyond red, indicating a range of infrared radiation.
Step 4
State why the students put the four thermometers together in the shade before placing them in the spectrum of sunlight.
Answer
The students put the thermometers together in the shade to ensure they all started at the same initial temperature. This provides a fair comparison when they are exposed to sunlight, ensuring that any temperature differences observed are due solely to the effects of sunlight and not initial temperature differences.
Step 5