An Investigation Into The Effect Of Surface Area to Volume Ratio On The Rate Of Heat Loss

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Surface Area to Volume Ratio

On The Rate Of Heat Loss

Heat loss from an object is affected by its surface area to volume ratio (SA/V). The smaller the SA/V the faster heat is lost by conduction, convection and radiation. Other factors may influence the rate of heat loss by the above physical processes, e.g. insulation type or thickness

Task

Prepare a detailed written plan for an investigation to determine the effect of vessel size on the rate of heat loss. The investigations can use the normal range of laboratory equipment and should take no more than eighty minutes to complete.

Include:

∙ A concise, testable hypothesis, explained by an introduction.

∙ Full experimental details including control of the experimental variables, and number of replicates.

∙ Risk assessment (scalds, cuts, electrocution, slipping, mercury in thermometers).

∙ A table for the collection of raw results.

∙ An outline of how the results will be processed (table 2 and graph) to determine whether the hypothesis should be accepted or rejected and an assessment of error (range, standard error or semi-interquartile range). A statistical test could be used, e.g. Mann-Whitney ‘u’ test to compare the significance of a difference between two groups of ...