BOME EDUCATIONAL CENTRE

University lessons

“We make a Difference to Your Future”

Lecture note

ON

THERMAL PHYSICS

Instructor: Mr. JAMES SANDI

 Thermal Physics Course

Unit 1: Introduction to Thermal Physics

 Definition of thermal physics and its importance in understanding the natural

world
 Basic concepts such as temperature, heat, energy, and heat capacity
 Units of measurement for thermal physics

Unit 2: Heat Transfer

 Mechanisms of heat transfer such as conduction, convection, and radiation

 Applications of heat transfer in everyday life and technology

Unit 3: Temperature Scale

 Three major temperature scales

 Kelvin
 Celsius
 Fahrenheit

Unit 4: Thermometer

 Types of thermometers
 Properties of thermometers

Unit 5: Heat Capacity

 Definition
 Problem solving

Unit 6: Application of thermal physics

 Applications of thermal physics in various fields such as meteorology,

engineering, and materials science.
 Real world examples like How do fridges work, how energy production plants
function, how heat pumps function etc.

Created by Sandi Page 2

UNIT 1: Introduction to thermal physics

Thermal physics is the study of heat, temperature, and their relationship to energy and
work. It includes key concepts such as temperature, heat, entropy, and the laws of
thermodynamics. It is applied in many fields such as understanding the behavior of
matter and in engineering to design systems such as engines and power plants.

Heat and Temperature

Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a

substance, and it is typically measured in units of degrees Celsius or Kelvin.

Heat on the other hand, is the transfer of energy from one body to another as a result
of a difference in temperature. It is typically measured in units of energy, such as
joules. When heat is added to a substance, the kinetic energy of its particles increases
and the temperature of the substance rises.

It is important to note that heat is not a substance, but it is a form of energy transfer.

UNIT 2: Heat transfer

Heat transfer is the movement of thermal energy from one object or substance to
another. There are three main type of heat transfer: conduction, convection and
radiation.

i. Conduction occurs when heat is transferred through a material without any

movement of the material itself.
ii. Convection occurs when heat is transferred by the movement of a fluid or gas.
iii. Radiation occurs when heat is transferred through space by electromagnetic
waves.

Created by Sandi Page 3

UNIT 3: Temperature scales

Temperature scales are ways to measure and compare temperature of different objects
or system. There are three main temperature scales:

Celsius (°C): based on metric system, 0°C is the freezing point of water, 100°C is
boiling point of water under normal atmospheric pressure.

Kelvin (K): Based on absolute temperature scale, where absolute zero is at 0 K, this is
the temperature at which all matter has zero thermal energy, 0 K is equivalent to -
273.15°C and 100°C is equivalent to 373.15K.

Fahrenheit (°F): used mostly in United States, freezing point of water is at 32°F and
boiling point is 212°F under normal atmospheric pressure.

Each scale has its own unique zero point and range of values, and they are not directly
comparable without conversion.

Conversion Among Temperature Scales

The table below shows the conservation among temperature scales.

Temperature Conversion Formula Table

Unit To Celsius To Fahrenheit To Kelvin

Celsius C (°) C(9⁄5) + 32 C + 273.15

(C)

Fahrenhe (F − 32) × F (F − 32) × 5⁄9 +

it 5⁄9 273.15

Created by Sandi Page 4

 Unit To Celsius To Fahrenheit To Kelvin

Kelvin K – 273.15 (K – 273.15) * 9/5 + K

32

Prove of conversion formulae

The diagram above represent three temperature scale, kelvin, Celsius and Fahrenheit

Assumptions

1. Let’s say the human body temperature is unknown from the diagram hence it is
denoted as K, C and F with respect to the diagram.
2. The distance from the freezing point to the boiling point on each scale is “H” and the
distance from the freezing point to the body temperature on each scale is “D”.

From the ration concept on the Kelvin scale,

H 373−273 H 100
= →≫ = … … … … … … … … … … ..(i)
D K−273 D K −273

Also on the Celsius scale,

Created by Sandi Page 5

 H 100−0 H 100
= →≫ = … … … … … … … … … … … … (ii)
D C−0 D C

Similarly on a Farenheit scale,

H 212−32 H 180
= →≫ = … … … … … … … … … …(iii)
D F−32 D F−32

H
Since is common in all the equation we equate them to each other.
D

100 100
= divide by 100
K−273 C

→≫
1
( 100
= )
1 100
100 K −273 100 C ( )
1 1
→≫ =
K−273 C

∴ C= K−273 … … … … … … … … … … … … … … (a)

If we again equate (ii) and (iii),

100 180
= divide both sides by 20
C F−32

→≫
1 100
20 C ( ) (
=
1 180
20 F−32 )
5 9
→≫ = cross multiply
C F−32

→ ≫9 C=5 ( F−32 ) Make C the subject

5
→ ≫C= ( F−32 ) … … … … … … … … … … .. .... ( b )
9

Hence to convert from Kelvin to Celsius use equation (a)

C=K−273

Created by Sandi Page 6

And to convert from Farenheit to Celsius use equation (b)

5
C= ( F−32 )
9

To convert from Kelin to Farenheit and from Farenheit to Kelvin is an exercise for you.

EXERCISES

1. For what temperature will F be 60 more than 0C ?

2. For what temperature will F be 40 lesser than 0C ?
3. For what temperature will F be 5times the 0C ?
(Source: Thermal physics,PhD Clarkson)

Answer

For flexibility in calculation, I advise you use the formula below

5F-9C=160
From the lesson
1) C=350 and F=950
2) C=900 and F=1300
3) C=100 and F=500

4. If the temperature of a patient in Farenheit is said to be 650 nore than her

temperature in Celsius, find her actual temperature in:
i. Celsius
ii. Farenheit
iii. Kelvin

Created by Sandi Page 7

5. The lower and upper fixed point of a certain thermometer are 30cm apart. At a
certain day the length of mercury thread in the thermometer 9cm above the ice
point. What is the temperature recorded by the thermometer in
i. Celsius scale
ii. Kelvin scale
( Source: New school physics)

6. A thermometer with an arbitrary scale, S, of equal division registers -300S at the ice
point and +900S at the stem point. Calculate the Celsius temperature corresponding
to 600S. (JAMB)
1) 25.00C 2) 50.00C 3) 66.70C 4) 75.00C
( Source: New school physics)

7. A thermometer has its stem marked in millimeter instead of degree Celsius. The
lower fixed point is 30mm and the upper fixed point is 180mm. calculate the
temperature in degree Celsius when the thermometer reads 45mm. (SSCE)
1) 67.50C 2) 30.00C 3) 25.00C 4) 15.00C 5) 10.00C
( Source: New school physics)

8. A faulty Celsius thermometer reads 0.70C at the melting point of pure ice and 99.50C
at the boiling point of water at normal pressure.
a. What is the correct temperature when it reads 300C ?
b. At what temperature will its reading be exactly correct ?
( Source: New school physics)

9. The reading of centrigrade tthermometer concides with that of Farenheit

thermometer in a liquid. The temperature of the liquid is
( Source: Concise physics)

1) -400C 2) 00C 3) 1000C 4) 3000C

Created by Sandi Page 8

10.If the thermometr reads freezing point of water as 200C and boiling point as 1500C,
how much thermometr reads when the actual temperature is 600C.
( Source: Concise physics)

1)980C 2) 1100C 3) 400C 4) 600C

11.The resistance of a resistance thermometre has value 2.70 Ω and 3.70 Ω at 0 0C and
1000C repectively. The temperature at which the resistance is 3.10 Ω is
( Source: Concise physics)

1) 300C 2) 400C 3) 600C 4) 700C

12.The pressure of a gas filled in the bulb of a constant volume gas thermometer at 0 0C
and 1000C are 2.86 cm and 36.6cm of mercury repectively. The temperature of bulb
at which pressure will be 35.0 cm of mercury will be
( Source: Concise physics)

1) 800C 2) 700C 3) 550C 4) 400C

Created by Sandi Page 9