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Leaving Cert Physics: Thermometers

How often Thermometers comes up on the Physics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 6 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

OL Asked on 5 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2024.

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Physics course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Thermometers, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Thermometers.

(a)Give one example of a thermometric property.
  1. The mass of the liquid used
  2. The length of a column of mercury
  3. The colour of the glass stem
(b)Which thermometer is best for measuring a rapidly changing temperature?
  1. An alcohol thermometer
  2. A mercury-in-glass thermometer
  3. A thermocouple
(c)Which thermometer is taken as the standard against which others are calibrated?
  1. The constant volume gas thermometer
  2. The alcohol thermometer
  3. The mercury-in-glass thermometer
Show the answers

(a) The length of a column of mercury

(b) A thermocouple

(c) The constant volume gas thermometer

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Thermometers.

Higher Level

Asked on 6 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Q10
2024Not asked
2023Q9
2022Q6(d)
2021Q6(e)
2019Q5(e)
2018Not asked
2017Q5(c)
2016Not asked

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

More Thermometers questions

Thermometers, 2 marks

Which thermometer suits an oven at 900 °C?

  1. A mercury-in-glass thermometer
  2. An alcohol-in-glass thermometer
  3. A thermocouple thermometer
Show the answer

A thermocouple thermometer

Mercury boils at 357 °C and alcohol at 78 °C, and glass softens long before 900 °C. A thermocouple of suitable metals works well above 1000 °C.

Thermometers, 2 marks

Which is a suitable thermometric property for a digital thermometer?

  1. The weight of a column of mercury
  2. The resistance of a thermistor
  3. The mass of a small metal block
Show the answer

The resistance of a thermistor

A thermometric property must change steadily with temperature. A thermistor's resistance does; mass and weight stay the same whatever the temperature.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 5 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2024.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Not asked
2024Q9
2023Not asked
2022Q8
2021Q11
2019Q8
2018Q2
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

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

More Thermometers questions

Thermometers, 2 marks

Thermometric property used by a thermocouple?

  1. The length of a liquid column
  2. The pressure of a gas
  3. The emf (voltage) produced
Show the answer

The emf (voltage) produced

A thermocouple is two different metals joined at two junctions. The emf it produces changes with the temperature difference between them.

Thermometers, 2 marks

Thermometric property used by a constant volume gas thermometer?

  1. The colour of the gas
  2. The pressure of the gas
  3. The resistance of a wire
Show the answer

The pressure of the gas

The volume is kept fixed, so as the gas gets hotter its pressure rises. The pressure reading gives the temperature.

Other Physics topics

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