Homeostasis and Temperature Regulation

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                Alyssa Jayne Comberbach

Lab # 11

Homeostasis and Temperature Regulation

Alyssa Jayne Comberbach

12/09/04

Aim:

To observe whether a body in water loses heat energy faster then a body in air.

Hypothesis:

When a person goes swimming, they begin to feel cold faster then a person standing on the outside of the pool. This is due to the nature of conduction, convection and heat. Convection is the transfer of heat energy in a gas or liquid by movement of currents. Conduction is the transfer and distribution of heat energy from one atom to another. I hypothesize that a body in water would lose heat energy faster then a body in air of the same temperature, and that the rate of heat loss of the body in water would be around double that of the body in air. The molecules in a liquid, such as water, are far closer together then the molecules of a gas. This would mean that the water molecules would be in closer contact with the body, thus removing more heat, at a faster rate. Heat always moves from a warm object to a cooler object until the temperature of the two objects becomes equal. For a warm body in water, this means that the heat energy would be draw away from it rapidly in an attempt to raise the temperature of the water. As heat leaves the body into the surrounding molecules, the heat is passed along through convection and conduction, passing from one molecules to the next in quick succession causing the heat to be lost from the body at a high rate. In a gas, this process of losing heat energy would not be as fast as not as many molecules would be touching the body, thus would not be able to draw energy from it. Thus, the withdrawal of heat energy form a body would be much faster in a liquid then in a gas.  

Apparatus:

  • 2 Large beakers
  • 10 Boiling tubes
  • Boiling tube rack
  • Bunsen burner
  • Water
  • Tripod
  • Gauze
  • Thermometers
  • Stop watch
  • Goggles
  • Tongs
  • Measuring cylinder

Method:

  1. Heat 200 ml of water to around 80ºC in a large beaker
  2. Fill another large beaker with water, measure its temperature
  3. Using tongs, pour 25 ml of hot water into 4 boiling tubes, label each and measure its starting temperature.
  4. Place 2 of the boiling tubes in the beaker containing water
  5. Place the other 2 boiling tubes in the rack, be sure that they are not touching
  6. Measure the temperature of each boiling tube every 30 seconds for 4 minutes
  7. Repeat until you have enough results
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Variables:

Independent:         If the body (boiling tube) is surrounded by a body of air or of water.

Dependent:         The rate at which heat is lost from the body

Controlled:         The volume of water in each boiling tube

                Times at which temperatures are measured

                Room temperature

                Water temperature

Data collection:

Table 1 shows the results obtained for the change in temperature of the boiling tubes surrounded by a body of air, over a period of four minutes.

Table 1, results for the boiling tubes in the control group (surrounded by air).

Table 2 shows the results obtained for ...

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