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Leaving Cert Physics & Chemistry: Temperature & thermometers

How often Temperature & thermometers comes up on the Physics & Chemistry papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 9 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

OL Asked on 9 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Temperature & thermometers, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Temperature & thermometers.

(a)Which of these is a thermometric property?
  1. Mass of a sample of gas in a sealed flask
  2. Length of a liquid column in a glass tube
  3. Number of atoms in a length of metal wire
(b)Convert 27 °C to kelvin.
  1. −246 K
  2. 246 K
  3. 300 K
(c)A resistance thermometer reads 20 Ω at 0 °C and 60 Ω at 100 °C. It now reads 35 Ω. Temperature?
  1. 37.5 °C
  2. 35 °C
  3. 58.3 °C
Show the answers

(a) Length of a liquid column in a glass tube

(b) 300 K

(c) 37.5 °C

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Temperature & thermometers.

Higher Level

Asked on 9 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q1(i), Q4
2024Q1(i), Q1(k)
2023Q1(f), Q3
2022Q1(e), Q1(f)
2021Q1(e), Q1(g), Q1(h)
2019Q1(i)
2018Q1(i), Q4
2017Q1(g), Q1(h), Q1(i)
2016Q1(h), Q1(i)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Temperature & thermometers questions

Temperature & thermometers, 2 marks

The triple point of water is the temperature at which…

  1. Water is at its most dense, a few degrees above the melting point
  2. Water boils at three times normal atmospheric pressure
  3. Ice, water and water vapour exist together in equilibrium
Show the answer

Ice, water and water vapour exist together in equilibrium

At one unique temperature and pressure, all three states of water coexist. That temperature, 273.16 K, is the upper fixed point of the kelvin scale.

Temperature & thermometers, 2 marks

Convert 400 K to degrees Celsius.

  1. −127 °C
  2. 127 °C
  3. 673 °C
Show the answer

127 °C

θ = T − 273 = 400 − 273 = 127 °C. Adding 273 gives 673, which goes the wrong way.

Temperature & thermometers, 2 marks

Which statement about heat and temperature is correct?

  1. Heat is energy that flows due to a temperature difference
  2. Temperature is measured in joules, like other forms of energy
  3. Heat and temperature are the same quantity in different units
Show the answer

Heat is energy that flows due to a temperature difference

Heat is a form of energy (joules). Temperature (kelvin or °C) is a measure of how hot a body is, and it decides which way heat flows: from hotter to colder.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 9 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q1(e), Q1(f)
2024Q1(e), Q4
2023Q1(e), Q1(f)
2022Q4
2021Q1(f), Q4
2019Q1(d), Q4
2018Q1(e), Q4
2017Q1(e), Q4
2016Q1(h)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Temperature & thermometers questions

Temperature & thermometers, 2 marks

Temperature is a measure of?

  1. The total heat energy in a body
  2. The mass of its particles
  3. How hot or cold a body is
Show the answer

How hot or cold a body is

Temperature tells how hot something is. A bath of warm water holds more heat energy than a cup of boiling water, but its temperature is lower.

Temperature & thermometers, 2 marks

The thermometric property of a mercury thermometer is?

  1. Mass of the mercury
  2. Length of the mercury column
  3. Colour of the mercury
Show the answer

Length of the mercury column

A thermometric property changes steadily with temperature. The mercury expands, so the column gets longer as it heats up; its mass does not change.

Temperature & thermometers, 2 marks

The two fixed points on the Celsius scale are?

  1. Melting ice and steam over boiling water
  2. Absolute zero and boiling water
  3. Body temperature and boiling water
Show the answer

Melting ice and steam over boiling water

The lower fixed point (0 °C) is pure melting ice. The upper fixed point (100 °C) is steam above water boiling at normal air pressure.

Other Physics & Chemistry topics

All of Leaving Cert Physics & Chemistry