Year 7 - Science
Measuring temperature
Heating and cooling
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explains energy transfer between objects due to temperature differences, through conduction or radiation, the role of insulators, and thermal equilibrium. It covers particle arrangements and motions in solids, liquids, and gases and Brownian motion.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to safely and accurately measure the temperature of different objects using a thermometer.
Key Notes
- Thermometers measure temperature in degrees Celsius (ºC).
- Glass thermometers are fragile and need to be handled with care.
- To accurately read the scale on a glass thermometer, your eye needs to be level with the top of the coloured liquid.
- Pure ice melts at 0ºC and pure water boils at 100ºC.
- If left for long enough, all objects in a room will reach the same temperature.
Vocabulary To Learn
- temperature: a measure of how hot or cold an object is
- degrees Celsius: a unit of temperature
- thermometer: a device that measures temperature
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils often estimate the temperature of an object based on its materials, rather than the temperature of the surroundings.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Thermometers measure temperature in degrees Celsius (ºC). Glass thermometers are fragile and need to be handled with care.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'temperature'
a measure of how hot or cold an object is. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils often estimate the temperature of an object based on its materials, rather than the temperature of the surroundings. Correction: Measure the temperature of several things that are all at room temperature such as water, sand and the air, in order to show that they are all the same.
More Lessons In This Unit
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