Misp Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2: Heat Conduction in Different Materials

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2
Name _____________________________ Date _____________
HEAT CONDUCTION IN DIFFERENT MATERIALS
Introduction
Some materials are good conductors of heat. Some are poor conductors of heat. Those that are poor
conductors are called insulators.
Good heat conductors will absorb heat quickly and their temperature will increase quickly. Good
heat conductors will also release heat quickly and their temperature will drop fast.
Materials that are good conductors are used to allow heat to move from one place to another.
Insulators are used to prevent the movement of heat from one place to another.
Problems
 Which materials are the best conductors of heat?

 Which materials are insulators?
Hypotheses
1. If a material is a good heat conductor and is placed in hot water, then its temperature will
increase quickly/slowly (circle one).
2. If a material is a poor heat conductor (an insulator) and is placed in hot water, then its
temperature will increase quickly/slowly (circle one).
Materials:
 goggles
 3 materials: tubes/pipes/rods or strips made of aluminum, copper, plastic (PVC), glass, and/or
wood; your teacher will tell you which you will use. (Note: Each material sample will have a
stick-on thermometer attached at an equal distance from the bottom of the tube or strip.)
 Hot water (approximately 50oC) — enough for one setup per group
 Cool water (approximately 10oC) — enough for one setup per group
 2 large beakers (or similar containers)
 timer
MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 1

 color pencils
Safety:
 Wear goggles.
 Use caution when handling the hot water.
Procedure: Check off each step as you complete it.
Fill one large beaker (or other container) with hot water (about 50oC) to a depth so that the
water level is approximately 4 cm below the thermometer. Fill the second large beaker (or other
container) with cool water (about 10oC) to the same depth. Set the cool water beaker aside.
Write on the data table the materials that your tubes or strips are made from.
Record the initial temperature of each tube or strip in the data table (time 0).
Place the three tubes or strips carefully in the beaker with hot water. Immediately start timing.
Record the temperature of each bar every 15 seconds (.25 minute) in the table for three minutes
or until one of the samples reaches the maximum temperature.
After 3 minutes or when one of the samples reaches the maximum temperature, move the tubes
or strips to the cool water beaker.
Note on your data table when the samples were moved to cool water.
Continue to record the temperature of each sample for another 3 minutes or until one of the
samples reaches the minimum temperature.
Convert the data in the seconds column to minutes by dividing by 60 seconds/minute.

Record your data here:
Time Time Temperature Temperature Temperature

o o o
(seconds) Minutes C — Material: C — Material: C — Material:
Seconds (first __________ __________ __________
column)/
60 seconds per
minute
0 0
15 .25
Graph your data:
Graph the data on the next page to show the relationship between time (minutes) and the
temperature (oC) of each material.
 Label the x–axis.
 Label the y–axis. Key Color:
 Connect the data points for each material. Use three different colors and write a key for the
_______________:
graph. _______________:
Title:_______________________ _______________:

Discussion:
1. Which material increased in temperature the quickest? the slowest? Which materials cooled the
fastest? the slowest? Complete the chart below:
Heating — Change Material Cooling — Change Material

in temperature in temperature
Fastest increase Fastest decrease
Medium Medium
Slowest increase Slowest decrease
2. Which material in your experiment is the best conductor? Explain. Refer to the graph in your
explanation.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Which material in your experiment is the worst conductor / the best insulator? Explain. Refer to
the graph in your explanation.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. If the materials were supplied with a constant (even) source of heat and were NOT moved to
the cool beaker, predict what the temperature would be in each material after 6 minutes (360
seconds).
Material: Predicted temperature after 6 minutes:
________________________ ________________________
________________________ ________________________
________________________ ________________________
5. Explain why the heat transfer in the experiment is conduction and not convection or radiation.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

6. Look at the graph you made. Notice that as time passed, the temperature of each material
changed. You will compare the temperature changes when each material was in the hot water by
calculating the unit rate of change (slope) of each line. Use the information from the graph to
calculate the unit rates of change (slopes) for each material’s data on the graph. If your data all lie
on a line, determine the unit rates of change (slopes) of the lines. If your data points do not
produce lines, determine the unit rates of change (slopes) of best-fit lines. (If you use best-fit lines,
the ordered pairs to determine unit rates of change [slopes] must be from the best-fit line, not from your data
chart.)
Unit Rate of Change = Δ Temperature (oC) = ∆y = (y2 - y1)

Δ Time (minutes) ∆x (x2 - x1)
Material in Ordered Pair used Unit Rate of

Hot Water for calculation o Δ Time
Δ Temperature C Change
(x1, y1) (minutes)
Δy (slope)
(x2, y2) Δx
Δy/Δx
7. Are the calculated unit rates of change (slopes) positive/+ or negative/-? What does that tell you
about the changes in temperature as time passed?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

8. In #2 you identified the best conductor and in #3 you identified the worst conductor (best
insulator). Compare those two materials’ unit rates of change (slopes). Discuss both the
numerical value and the sign (positive/+ or negative/-).
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2

Name _____________________________ Date _____________

HEAT CONDUCTION IN DIFFERENT MATERIALS

 Which materials are the best conductors of heat?

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 1

Procedure: Check off each step as you complete it.

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 2

Time Time Temperature Temperature Temperature

Graph your data:

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 3

Heating — Change Material Cooling — Change Material

Slowest increase Slowest decrease

Material: Predicted temperature after 6 minutes:

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 5

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 6

Unit Rate of Change = Δ Temperature (oC) = ∆y = (y2 - y1)

Material in Ordered Pair used Unit Rate of

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 7

MiSP Thermal Conduction Worksheet #2 L2 8

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