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GCSE Physics · key term
A measure of how readily a material conducts thermal energy; a lower value means poorer conduction.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Specification 4.1.2.1 · Paper 1
A property indicating how readily a material transfers energy by conduction; a higher value means a higher rate of transfer through the material under the same conditions.
Revise: Reducing Unwanted Energy TransfersFor walls, the two assessed properties are their thickness and the thermal conductivity of the material.
Specification 3.10 · Paper 1
For a wall question, state the direction of each relationship: increasing thickness decreases the rate of cooling; increasing thermal conductivity increases the rate of cooling.
In a comparison, change only the named factor. For thickness, state that the material and temperature difference are the same; for thermal conductivity, state that the walls have the same thickness.
Always link the property to both stages of the answer: energy-transfer rate and cooling rate. For example, ‘lower thermal conductivity → slower energy transfer through the wall → slower cooling’.
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A measure of how readily thermal energy is transferred through a material by conduction. A material with a lower thermal conductivity is a better thermal insulator.
Thermal conductivity measures how readily a material transfers energy by conduction.
Specification P7.2g · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
A measure of how readily a material conducts thermal energy; a lower thermal conductivity means it is a poorer conductor.
Revise: Cooling of buildingsThermal conductivity describes how readily a material conducts thermal energy. At the same thickness, a wall material with a higher thermal conductivity transfers energy more quickly, so the building cools faster. A material with a lower thermal conductivity transfers it more slowly.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Revise: Energy Conservation, Dissipation and InsulationMaterials containing many pockets of trapped air can be effective because air has low thermal conductivity. Keeping the air trapped also prevents it from circulating freely and transferring energy by convection.