Thermal Design: Compare, Improve & Retest — Practice · Grade 6 Science

Chapter: Energy, Heat & Thermal Design

What this practice covers

By the end of Thermal Design: Compare, Improve & Retest you should be able to:

8 questions, written answer and multiple choice, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: criterion, constraint, evidence, system boundary, uncertainty.

Problem 1

Why state the budget before ranking designs?
Answer and explanation

It defines which designs are feasible. Choosing a performance winner first and ignoring its cost changes the original problem.

Compare the scientific meaning and reasoning after an independent attempt. A different accurate supported response can be correct; human review is required.

Problem 2

Can those final readings isolate sleeve quality?
Answer and explanation

No. Use matched starts and compare drops over the same interval before attributing the difference to the sleeves.

Compare the scientific meaning and reasoning after an independent attempt. A different accurate supported response can be correct; human review is required.

Problem 3

Which design fits the stated cost constraint?
Answer and explanation

A fits the limit. B performs better in the modeled temperature measure but is not feasible under that constraint unless it is redesigned.

Compare the scientific meaning and reasoning after an independent attempt. A different accurate supported response can be correct; human review is required.

Problem 4

Why can’t the redesign automatically use the old temperature drops?
Answer and explanation

Changing the feature can change heat-transfer rates. The new design must be tested under its own stated conditions.

Compare the scientific meaning and reasoning after an independent attempt. A different accurate supported response can be correct; human review is required.

Problem 5

Develop a complete response: Calculate the means, recommend a feasible design, and propose a next test. Include relevant evidence and one method or model limit.
Answer and explanation

C has mean drop 6 °C and costs 3 tokens, meeting both stated conditions. D has mean 4 °C but exceeds the budget. Recommend C for this modeled problem, while noting its 5–7 °C spread and repeating to check consistency. A cheaper D variant would need its own fair test.

Compare the scientific meaning and reasoning after an independent attempt. A different accurate supported response can be correct; human review is required.

Problem 6

Apply the unit independently: A design reaches the best temperature in one trial but cannot fit the cup. Is it necessarily the best solution? Give a reason and a relevant qualification.
Answer and explanation

No. Fit is a constraint, and one trial does not establish reliable performance. Evaluate all stated requirements and repeat a suitable design.

Compare the scientific meaning and reasoning after an independent attempt. A different accurate supported response can be correct; human review is required.

Problem 7

Which statement correctly uses criterion in Thermal Design: Compare, Improve & Retest?
  1. A changed design can inherit the old design’s measured results without retesting.
  2. The largest performance result automatically wins regardless of constraints.
  3. criterion: A stated measure of desired success in a design problem.
  4. One illustrative result establishes every real condition and needs no further evidence.
Answer and explanation

criterion: A stated measure of desired success in a design problem.

A stated measure of desired success in a design problem. C has mean drop 6 °C and costs 3 tokens, meeting both stated conditions. D has mean 4 °C but exceeds the budget. Recommend C for this modeled problem, while noting its 5–7 °C spread and repeating to check consistency. A cheaper D variant would need its own fair test.

Problem 8

Which statement correctly uses constraint in Thermal Design: Compare, Improve & Retest?
  1. One illustrative result establishes every real condition and needs no further evidence.
  2. The largest performance result automatically wins regardless of constraints.
  3. A changed design can inherit the old design’s measured results without retesting.
  4. constraint: A limit that the proposed solution must satisfy.
Answer and explanation

constraint: A limit that the proposed solution must satisfy.

A limit that the proposed solution must satisfy. C has mean drop 6 °C and costs 3 tokens, meeting both stated conditions. D has mean 4 °C but exceeds the budget. Recommend C for this modeled problem, while noting its 5–7 °C spread and repeating to check consistency. A cheaper D variant would need its own fair test.

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