Teachers Guide 012-06101C

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer

Teachers Guide - Activity P46: Heat Transfer (Temperature Sensor)

Concept Energy DataStudio P46 Heat Transfer.DS ScienceWorkshop (Mac) P38 Heat Transfer Qty 2 1 1 1 1 ScienceWorkshop (Win) P38_HEAT.SWS Qty 2 1 PS Qty 800 mL

Equipment Needed Temperature Sensor (CI-6505A) Aluminum can, black (TD-8570A) Aluminum can, plain (TD-8570A) Fan (optional) Heat lamp (optional) What Do You Think?

Equipment Needed Thermal insulation pads Tongs (for handling cans with hot water) Protective gear Consumables Water, hot (90C)

Parts of robot spacecraft are painted black while other parts are left unpainted. Part of the reason is that unpainted sections of the spacecraft hull absorb energy more slowly than sections that are painted black. Do you think the reverse is possible, will an unpainted aluminum can emit energy faster or slower than a black colored aluminum can? Take time to answer the What Do You Think? question(s) in the Lab Report section.
Background

Heat is energy in transit. Heat transfer happens when two objects are at different temperatures. Heat is transferred in three ways: conduction, convection, and radiation. When an aluminum can full of hot water sits in a room, the water loses heat by conduction through the aluminum sides (by direct contact with cooler molecules), by convection as air molecules collide with the aluminum, and by radiation as electromagnetic waves are emitted from the cans surface.

TP46

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 101

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer

Teachers Guide 012-06101C

SAFETY REMINDERS Wear protective gear. Follow directions for using the equipment. Wear gloves and use tongs when handling the cans with hot water in them.

For You To Do

In this activity, put hot water into two aluminum cans, one unpainted and the other painted black. Use the Temperature Sensors to measure the temperature of the water in each can as it cools. Use DataStudio or ScienceWorkshop to record and display the temperatures for each can. Examine the plot of temperature versus time to find can transfers heat fastest.
PART I: Computer Setup

1. 2.

Connect the interface to the computer, turn on the interface, and turn on the computer. Connect one Temperature Sensor to Analog Channel A. Connect the second Temperature Sensor to Analog Channel B on the interface box. Open the document titled as shown:
DataStudio P46 Heat Transfer.DS ScienceWorkshop (Mac) P38 Heat Transfer ScienceWorkshop (Win) P38_HEAT.SWS

3.

The DataStudio document has a Workbook display. Read the instructions in the Workbook. The ScienceWorkshop document will open with a Graph display showing plots of Temperature vs. Time for each Temperature Sensor. Data recording is set so there is one measurement each 10 seconds. Data recording stops automatically at 900 seconds (15 minutes).

p. 102

1999 PASCO scientific

TP46

Teachers Guide 012-06101C PART II: Sensor Calibration and Equipment Setup

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer

1.

You do not need to calibrate the Temperature Sensors. Prepare the two aluminum cans (one unpainted and one painted black). Heat approximately 800 milliliters of water to 90 C, but dont fill the cans with water yet. Place each can on an insulated pad. Keep the cans away from drafts.
TEMPERATURE SENSORS TO INTERFACE

TO INTERFACE

ALUMINUM CAN,

2.

UNPAINTED Fill each can to the same level with hot (90 C) water (approximately 200 ml). Put Temperature Sensor A into the unpainted can and Temperature Sensor B into the black can.

ALUMINUM CAN, BLACK

PART III: Data Recording

1. 2.

When you are ready, start recording data. Data points will begin to appear in the graph every 10 seconds. Swirl the water in the cans continuously for 15 minutes. Data collecting will stop automatically at 15 minutes. Set up your Graph to show statistics.

Analyzing the Data

1.

In DataStudio, click the Statistics menu button ( ). Check that Minimum and Maximum are selected. In ScienceWorkshop, click the Statistics button ( ) to open the statistics area on the right side of the Graph. Click the Statistics Menu button ( ) and select Minimum and Maximum. 2. Record the maximum y value as the Maximum temperature. Record the minimum y value as the Minimum temperature.

Record your results in the Lab Report section.

TP46

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 103

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer

Teachers Guide 012-06101C

p. 104

1999 PASCO scientific

TP46

Teachers Guide 012-06101C

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer

Lab Report - Activity P46: Heat Transfer

What Do You Think?

Parts of robot spacecraft are painted black while other parts are left unpainted. Part of the reason is that unpainted sections of the spacecraft hull absorb energy more slowly than sections that are painted black. Do you think the reverse is possible, will an unpainted aluminum can emit energy faster or slower than a black colored aluminum can? Answers will vary. For example, students may argue that the inside of the unpainted can will reflect energy back into the water.
Data Table Can Unpainted Black Questions Maximum temperature 84.0 C 83.8 C Minimum temperature 68.4 C 62.6 C

1.

Which can cooled down faster?

Answers will vary. In the example above, the black painted can cooled down 21.2 C. The unpainted can cooled down 15.6 C. 2. When the cans are cooling, which processes transfer heat? Which process do you think is dominant?

When the cans are cooling, conduction, convection, and radiation are all contributing to the transfer of energy. The cans conduct some energy into the insulating pads they sit upon. They lose some energy to the air through the openings at the top. The dominant process is radiation. 3. When a can is cooling, does it cool faster at the beginning of the experiment or toward the end of the experiment? Why?

When a can is cooling, it cools down faster at the beginning of the cooling and less rapidly at the end of the cooling. The rate of cooling is directly proportional to the difference in temperature between the can and its environment. As the cans temperature comes closer to the room temperature, the cooling rate drops.

TP46

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 105

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer Optional: Save Your Data

Teachers Guide 012-06101C

NOTE: You may want to save the original experiment and data before beginning the optional activities.

Optional: Cooling With A Fan

Repeat the experiment but put a fan next to the cans so the air blows equally on each of the cans. Turn on the fan and begin recording data.
Optional: Heating With A Lamp

Fill the cans with room temperature water. Put the Temperature Sensors in each can as before. Place a heat lamp near the cans so that the cans are equally illuminated. Turn on the lamp and begin recording data.
Optional Questions

1.

How much faster does each can cool when the fan is on? (To compare the cooling times, find out how much time it took for each can to cool from about 85 C to 80 C with and without the fan. Divide the cooling time without the fan by the cooling time with the fan for each can.)

Answers will vary. 2. When the can is cooling with the fan, what processes transfer heat? Which process is dominant?

Answers will vary. When the fan is blowing air over the cans, both radiation and convection transfer energy from the cans. Convection is the dominant process. 3. Which can heated faster?

The black painted can absorbs thermal energy faster than the unpainted can. 4. When the can is being heated with a lamp, which processes transfer heat? Which process is dominant?

Answers will vary. When the can is being heated with a lamp, radiation is the dominant process, but some thermal energy may be transferred through convection.

p. 106

1999 PASCO scientific

TP46

Teachers Guide 012-06101C

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer

Time Estimates Objectives

Preparation: 30 min

Activity: 30 min

Students will be able to

use the Temperature Sensor to measure the change in temperature as two cans (one unpainted and one colored black) with equal quantities of hot water emit energy use the Graph display determine the minimum and maximum temperatures as the two cans cool compare the change in temperature of one can to the change in temperature of the other can

Notes

Encourage your students to be very careful when handling the hot water. Remind them to wear gloves and to use tongs to handle the containers of hot water. Stirring or swirling the cans continuously for fifteen minutes is very important. Also, it is important to stir or swirl the cans consistently. Note: DataStudio and ScienceWorkshop results were obtained during separate data runs and can not be compared to each other.

DataStudio Sample Data

TP46

1999 PASCO scientific

p. 107

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 2 P46: Heat Transfer ScienceWorkshop Sample Data

Teachers Guide 012-06101C

In this example, the top plot shows Temperature vs. Time for the unpainted can. The bottom plot shows Temperature vs. Time for the black can. The vertical axis for each plot is scaled to 85 C maximum and 55 C minimum.

p. 108

1999 PASCO scientific

TP46