Name: ___________________________________________________
Thermal Systems Notes:
1. What is the difference between conduction,
convection, and radiation?
a. Conduction, convection, and radiation are all
ways that heat can move around
b. Conduction is heat moving through touch in
solids
c. Convection is heat moving through mixing fluids
like air or water
d. Radiation is heat moving through light (e.g.
microwaves, sunlight, UV light, gamma rays)
2. How are conduction, convection, and radiation
considered in selecting building materials?
a. Insulation in houses keeps heat from leaving the
house in the winter
b. Insulation in houses keeps heat from coming into
a house in the summer
c. High winds can increase heat loss in a home
through convection
d. Weather stripping minimizes heat loss though
convection and reduces out heating bill
e. Large windows help heat up our home through
radiation
3. How so solar angle, wind, and temperature influence
building design?
a. In the winter the sun is lower in the sky. Architect
design houses with large windows on the house
facing the sun help to heat up our home in the
winter time
b. High winds can increase heat loss in a home
through convection, extra insulation is used to
minimize heat loss when it is windy
c. Heavy curtains on a home help prevent homes
from heating up due to radiation
d. Darker colors absorb more heat from the sun and
heating up our homes
e. Lighter colors reflect heat from the sun cooling
down our homes
4. What are alternative and nonrenewable energies?
a. Alternative energies are energy sources that do
not come from oil or natural gas
b. Nonrenewable energies are energy sources that
we will run out of some day like oil, natural gas,
and uranium
c. Renewable resources are energy sources that we
will never run out of like trees, the sun, wind,
moving water, and heat from the earths
Thermal Systems Problems:
1. A warm room is located directly below a cold room. The
temperature difference and the amount of insulation
between the two rooms determine the rate of heat
transfer.Which of the following statements describes the
function of the insulation?
A The insulation absorbs radiation from the warm
. room.
B The insulation reflects energy back into the warm
. room.
C The insulation prevents air currents from forming in
. the cold room.
D The insulation reduces the conduction of energy into
. the cold room.
2. The owner of an office building is planning to tint all the
windows. Which of the following is the most likely reason
Name: ___________________________________________________
for doing this? B a gasoline-engine car
A to improve the structural integrity of the .
. building
C a natural-gas stove
B to prevent the window glass from shattering .
.
D a solar-heated shower
C to improve the appearance of the building .
. 5. The illustration below shows two heat lamps being used
D to reduce the cost of air conditioning to keep food` warm.
.

3. The drawing below shows part of a room in a house.

In which way does most of the heat from the lamps reach
the food?
Which of the following describes how this room is primarily A by
heated? . conduction
A condensati B by
. on . evaporation
B conduction C by radiation
. .
C convection D by resistance
. .
D radiation
. 6. Which of the following statements explains why
buildings in the northern United States usually have
4. Which of the following uses only renewable energy? steeper roofs than buildings in the southern United States?
A a battery-powered A Steeper roofs have tighter rafter joints, which leak
. radio . less during the cold winter season.
Name: ___________________________________________________
B Steeper roofs have more surface area, which allows . conduction
. less heat to escape during the cold winter season.
D number of windows per floor and
C Heavy snow loads in the North easily slide off . radiation
. steeper roofs, reducing the risk of roofs collapsing.
D Minimal wind loads in the North allow for steeper 9. Which of the following explains why tinting office
. roofs, reducing the number of shingles needed on building windows is an effective way to reduce air-
roofs. conditioning costs in the summer months?
A Tinting absorbs heat from the inside of the building.
.
7. During the construction of a house, which of the B Tinting forces workers to use artificial lighting inside
following actions would most likely minimize heat loss . the building.
due to conduction?
C Tinting reduces the amount of solar radiation that
A installing a forced hot air heating system
. passes into the building.
.
D Tinting creates a thermal barrier that prevents heat
B increasing the number of south-facing windows
. from leaving the building.
.
10. The diagram below shows one system that can be
C making sure all exterior doors are properly used to generate electricity.
. sealed
D insulating exterior walls to attain the highest R-
. value

8. The thermal system of an office building should be

designed to provide for the thermal comfort of the building
occupants. Which of the following do not have a
relationship that directly affects the interior environmental
conditions of a building?
A total dead load and conduction
. Which of the following renewable energy sources is being
used to power this system?
B average ceiling height and convection A geothermal
. . energy
C R-value of wall material and B solar energy
Name: ___________________________________________________
. . northwest
C water energy
. 13. Much of the heat produced by a fireplace is carried up
the chimney by rising air. Which of the following processes
D wind energy is responsible for this loss of heat energy to the outside
. environment?
A conductio
11. Solar photovoltaic energy is useful as a portable power . n
source for items such as calculators. In a solar
photovoltaic system, sunlight is directly converted into B convectio
which of the following? . n
A heat C evaporati
. . on
B electricity D radiation
. .
C nuclear
. energy
D chemical
. energy

12. Which of the following describes the winter conditions

that would result in a home having the highest rate of
heat loss to the outside environment?
A a cloudy, calm day
.
B several inches of snow on the roof
.
C rows of icicles along the window awnings
.
D a strong, steady wind blowing from the
Name: ___________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________

1. The photographs below show typical houses facing

south in Vermont and in Arizona.

The climate in Vermont varies greatly from the climate in

Arizona. Factors such as wind, solar angle, and
temperature likely influenced the design of these houses.

Open Response Questions a. Describe two features of the Vermont house design
Name: ___________________________________________________
that make it uniquely advantageous to its
geographical location. Explain your answers.

A thermostat for the heating system will control the

b. Describe two features of the Arizona house design
that make it uniquely advantageous to its
geographical location. Explain your answers.
temperature in the large room. Four possible locations for
the thermostat are shown on the plan.
Explain why each of the four numbered locations either is
or is not a good place for the thermostat. Include the
relevant heat transfer methods for each location in your
answer.

2. The drawing below is a floor plan for part of a house.