In this investigation I will investigate heat loss and heat transfer in different materials and I will also investigate which materials are the best insulators.

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Ranjit Dhillon

Science Heat Loss Investigation

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Introduction

In this investigation I will investigate heat loss and heat transfer in different materials and I will also investigate which materials are the best insulators. A material that prevents this heat loss is called an insulator and this helps to keep the object that is being insulated warmer for, longer. Heat is generally transferred in three different methods: -

  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation

Conduction is energy transferred from the hotter part of a solid to the colder part of conduction. It is transferred by the particles in the material the particles in the hot part are vibrating more. These vibrations are passed on to the cooler particles next to them, so the energy spreads through the material until all particles have the same energy. Metals are good conductors, whereas most non-metals are poor conductors and poor conductors are used as insulators.

Convection is the transfer of energy by the movement of a liquid or gas. When a liquid becomes warm it expands and becomes less dense. The warmer fluid floats above the cooler fluid, which sinks. This creates a flow, which is called convection current.

Radiation is when bodies emit radiation. Basically the hotter the body, the more energy it radiates. Dark, dull surfaces emit more radiation than light, shiny surfaces. They also absorb radiation well. Light, shiny surfaces do not absorb radiation well – they are good reflectors.

Radiation can pass through space – that is how the warmth of the sun reaches the Earth.

Also heat can be transferred by evaporation and this may be relevant in my investigation as I am dealing with water and the heating of water. Also evaporation is when the particles near the surface of a liquid and become a vapour. The particles that escape are those with higher-than-average energy – otherwise they would not have enough energy to escape. Because the liquid loses its higher energy particles, the liquid that is left has less energy, so it becomes cooler.

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I will test two types of insulation to see which is the best at preventing heat loss I will use black card, and tin foil to insulate the beaker filled with water. I will also do this twice one in a small beaker and once in a larger beaker. I will investigate also if I use more water will this affect the heat loss. If I use more water will this hold insulate the water more? So overall I will have four sets of results.  

Factors of the experiment

In this experiment there are many different ...

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