Investigation to See How Insulation Affects Heat Loss

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Investigation to See How Insulation Affects Heat Loss

We are trying to find out how layers of insulation wrapped round a beaker with hot water in will affect the heat loss in five minutes. The are six different variables that we could alter such as amount of water, temp of water, size of beaker, if the beaker has a lid, if the beaker is on a heat proof mat and the temp of the class room (which we cannot control). We are going to vary the layers of insulation from no layers to four, we are also going to do the experiments without a lid and one with but both times the beaker will be placed on a heat proof mat. We are going to use 125ml of hot water in a 300ml beaker. We are going to the experiment twice then get an average measure the heat loss from when the temp has got to 70°C and is not rising any more we will then start the stopwatch. I predict that the insulation may make some difference but once you have got to about four layers it wont prevent any more heat loss, I also think that the lid will make a lot of difference because it reduces convection allot.  

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Equipment

Two 300ml beakers

Two thermometers

A heat proof mat

Eight strips of polystyrene insulation

Two polystyrene lids

A kettle or source of water over 80°C

Two stopwatches

Investigation to See How Insulation Affects Heat Loss

Method

We will boil the kettle then pour it in a measuring cylinder to get 125ml then pour it into the beaker, add the thermometer and wait until the temp is at 70°C and not rising then start the timer for five minuets. At five minutes we will take the temperature and work out the heat loss. After that ...

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