Unit II Assessment Question – FIR 3301 

In many buildings the walls are constructed of gypsum plaster board or dry wall. Gypsum plaster board is used as fire walls in many attics in garden apartments and other structures. Explain why gypsum plaster is used as a heat barrier. Discuss how many joules are needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of gypsum plaster by 1°C. How many joules are needed to raise 1 kg of wood (oak) to the same temperature? If identical fires from a chair are burning in identical rooms, except that one room is lined with wood (oak) and one room is lined with gypsum plaster, in which room would the walls tend to be hotter? Explain why.