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GCE O-Level Physics Syllabus 

Chapter 11: Thermal Properties of Matter

Chapter Topics:

Internal energy
Specific heat capacity
Melting, boiling and evaporation

Learning Objectives:

(a) Describe a rise in temperature of a body in terms of an increase in its internal energy (random thermal energy).

(b) Define the terms heat capacity and specific heat capacity.

(c) Recall and apply the relationship thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × change in temperature to new situations or to solve related problems.

(d) Describe melting / solidification and boiling / condensation as processes of energy transfer without a change in temperature.

(e) Explain the difference between boiling and evaporation.

(f) Define the terms latent heat and specific latent heat.

(g) Recall and apply the relationship thermal energy = mass × specific latent heat to new situations or to solve related problems.

(h) Explain latent heat in terms of molecular behavior.

(i) Sketch and interpret a cooling curve.

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