Am going to test the following insulators:- No Insulation Felt Cotton Bubble Wrap Cardboard

Radiation

A third method to transfer heat is by radiation. A warm or hot object gives off infrared electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed in another object, heating it up. Electric heaters with the shiny reflector use radiation to heat. If they add a fan, they use both radiation and convection to heat an area.

Transfer of heat by radiation travels at the speed of light and goes great distances, even in a vacuum. We are heated from the Sun through radiation transfer of heat.

Sources of heat energy

Molecules can go into high-energy motion, causing heat, from various energy sources.

• Light from the sun radiating on an object can transfer energy to the object's molecules, causing them to move faster. In other words, the object heats up.
• Chemical reactions (such as something burning) cause nearby molecules to accelerate and produce the effect of heat.
• Electrical resistance can heat a wire, causing its molecules to move faster.
• Friction and nuclear reactions can also produce heat.

Insulation helps a great deal when heat energy is gained and needed because it helps minimize the heat loss and heat loss is ultimately bad for the environment and a waste of money as more resources are needed 2 create more heat.

U – Values for floors

Conductive heat transfer through a floor is not 1-dimensional - there is also heat transfer. Greatest heat losses occur close to the exposed edges of the floor.

Average U-values

Note that U-values are not additive, but that heat resistances are.

If a wall or roof is composed of different constructions, then the overall U-value of the wall or roof depends upon the relative areas of the different constructions.

FOR EG.

                

Shiny objects, such as silver, reflect heat back into the object.  That is why you can cook and bake food in tin foil because it reflects all heat back into the product.

I am going to test the following insulators:-

• No Insulation
• Felt
• Cotton
• Bubble Wrap
• Cardboard

To ensure the test is fair I will take the following action:-

• 40 ml of hot water will be used in every experiment
• Allow 10 minutes span for each experiment
• The same amount of insulator will be used for each
• Start temperature will remain the same for each

Apparatus

Copper tin,

Measuring cylinder,

Hot water,

Thermometer,

Stopwatch,

Various insulators.

Prediction

I predict that cotton and felt will be the best insulators, as they are thicker in mass and thermal.

I think the experiment with no insulator will have the most heat loss.

Safety precautions

I shall wear safety goggles throughout the experiment and be careful when pouring the hot water, and keep all obstructions out of the way.

                                

No Insulation

                                        Felt

                                 

       Cotton

                                Bubble Wrap

                                        

Cardboard

Conclusion

Now that I have the temperatures and averages I can begin comparing the total heat loss. Felt is the best insulator with the highest temperature followed by cotton, bubble wrap and then cardboard.

So like I predicted felt came out as the independent variable and ‘no insulation’ came out recording the lowest temperature.

Insulation is used to minimize the heat transfer in many everyday situations. It is done by reducing conduction, convection and/or radiation effects. The U-value is a standard of measurement of this insulation.