Investigation to discover which chosen insulators keep the water in a cup hottest over 4 minutes.

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Which Insulation?

Aim

In this investigation I am going to discover which chosen insulators keep the water in a cup hottest over 4 minutes. I will be observing the temperature levels for each experiment to enable to make an accurate result and reliable conclusion.

Background information

A material that prevents heat loss is called an insulator.

Heat transfer is a process in which energy in the form of heat energy is exchanged between materials that are at a different temperature. Heat is generally transferred by conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. Insulators have to prevent these four types of heat loss. These processes can all happen simultaneously but it is likely that one will give the greater heat exchange.

Examples of heat loss:

Evaporation

This is when particles in a substance gain so much energy from heat that they break away from other particles and travel upwards (the particle is less dense). For example when you boil water the heat from the heat source will pass on heat energy to the water particles through conduction. The particles will continue to vibrate and pass on energy. As the heat builds up, the particles will vibrate more because of excessive heat energy. The water particles soon get enough heat energy that the vibrations they are receiving are strong enough to break the bonds that loosely hold them together. This happens at boiling point. The water particles that escape the water are called steam. The process of water particles gaining enough energy to break bonds with other particles and break free is called evaporation.

Conduction

This is when heat energy is transferred through a substance from a hotter region to a cooler region without any movement of the substance itself. For example, heat can be lost from a metal cup, which contains hot water by conduction. The vibrating water particles have enough energy to cause the metal particles to vibrate. The particles bump into each other to pass on heat energy. The heat energy propagates to the outer wall of the metal cup. The outer wall particles then lose heat to the surroundings. The transfer of heat energy from particle to particle without the actual substance itself moving is called conduction.

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Convection

This is when heat is transferred by substances that can flow (liquids such as water) and carry heat energy from hotter areas to cooler areas by their own movement.

  • As liquids or gasses get hotter, particles move faster causing it to expand and become less dense.
  • The liquid or gas will now rise up and be replaced by, colder, denser regions.

Radiation

This is when the heat energy is transferred by waves. Hot objects (cup containing hot water) emit mainly infrared radiation, which can pass through a vacuum (no ...

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