Heat Transfer Through Various Materials or
Testing Heat Conductivity of Various Materials
The purpose of this activity is to test the ability of various materials to conduct heat.
Procedure:
1. Attach metal strips to the clothes line using paper clips. Attach the ends of the clothes line to the two support stands.
2. Place equal sized lumps of butter on top of each strip.
3. Prepare a hot water bath with foil over top.
4. At time zero place the water bath under the clothes line and ensure that all strips are just touching the water (the foil prevents steam from melting the butter).
5. Using your timing device measure the time it takes for each lump of butter to melt on each strip.
6. Record the times .
Experiment 1
The temperature of the water was 51C
Material /Time taken for butter to melt
Copper /40s
Aluminum /50s
Brass/ 1.45s
Plastic/ had not melted at 5 mins.
Experiment 2
The temperature of the water was 37C
Material /Time taken for butter to melt
Copper/ 60s
Aluminum /5 mins 30s
Brass /9 mins
Plastic /had not melted after 10 mins
from Dr.Noot
Testing Heat Conductivity of Various Materials
The purpose of this activity is to test the ability of various materials to conduct heat.
Procedure:
1. Attach metal strips to the clothes line using paper clips. Attach the ends of the clothes line to the two support stands.
2. Place equal sized lumps of butter on top of each strip.
3. Prepare a hot water bath with foil over top.
4. At time zero place the water bath under the clothes line and ensure that all strips are just touching the water (the foil prevents steam from melting the butter).
5. Using your timing device measure the time it takes for each lump of butter to melt on each strip.
6. Record the times .
Experiment 1
The temperature of the water was 51C
Material /Time taken for butter to melt
Copper /40s
Aluminum /50s
Brass/ 1.45s
Plastic/ had not melted at 5 mins.
Experiment 2
The temperature of the water was 37C
Material /Time taken for butter to melt
Copper/ 60s
Aluminum /5 mins 30s
Brass /9 mins
Plastic /had not melted after 10 mins
from Dr.Noot
4 comments:
Hi Dr. Noot,
your results certainly demonstrate copper's superior ability to transfer heat! I don't know if you have ever tried the Molo programs? If you could explain heat conductivity in terms of the particle theory it might help us with the Great Debate brought to us from GROB.
Dr B.
Hi Dr Noot,
I would like to try this as a demonstration with my class. could you please take some pictures and post them on the BLOG so that I can get an idea of the set up?
Thanks,
A Teacher
Hi Dr Noot,
I'm wondering about examples of practical uses of this amazing heat conductivity of copper - where would this be used in our home? Is copper expensive? - I'm wondering because Ida wants a house like the one you have designed and I'm trying to make it affordable.
Harry Johnson
Hi Dr Noot,
don't forget about the cloud forest in Ecuador. That was copper mining they want to do there you know. Mining copper for our use and create devastation in other parts of the world. Can copper be recycled?
Dr Stephanie Lewis
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