Janine Anne L. De Vera Prof.

Vitancol
BSED – Science Thermodynamics

Title: Newton’s Law of Cooling

Abstract
Temperature difference in any situation results from energy flow into a system or energy
flow from a system to surroundings. The former leads to heating, whereas latter leads to cooling of
an object. Newton’s Law of Cooling states that the rate of temperature of the body is proportional
to the difference between the temperature of the body and that of the surrounding medium. The
purpose of this experiment is to investigate how objects cool. You will discover that the difference
between the temperature of a cooling object and room temperature can be modelled by an
exponential function. You will use this pattern to find a formula for the temperature of a cooling
object as a function of time. After doing this laboratory experiment, I was able to measure the
difference in temperature between a vessel of cooling water and the room temperature as a function
of time.

Introduction
Newton's Law of Cooling states that the rate of change of the temperature of an object is
proportional to the difference between its own temperature and the ambient temperature (i.e. the
temperature of its surroundings).

Newton's Law of cooling has the following formula: T(t)=Te+(T0−Te)⋅e−kt

where T(t) is the temperature of the object at time t, Te is the constant temperature of the
environment,T0 is the initial temperature of the object, and k is a constant that depends on the
material properties of the object.

Methodology

Get the ambient temperature

Add 150 – 200 mL of Water

Record the Initial Temperature of Water

Turn on the hot plate. Take the temperature every 30 seconds.

Turn off the hot plate if the temperature of the water reaches
approximately 50 – 60°

Continue taking the temperature every 30 seconds in 20

minutes.
Janine Anne L. De Vera Prof. Vitancol
BSED – Science Thermodynamics

Data

t (time Temperature every 30 seconds in 20 minutes

Temperature
interval)
62° C 52° C 47° C 41.8° C
Initial 30° C
30s 28.5° C 61° C 52° C 47° C 41° C
60s 31.5° C 60° C 50° C 46° C
90s 36° C 59° C 50° C 45° C
120s 38.5° C 59° C 50° C 44° C
150s 42° C 57° C 49.8° C 44° C
180s 44° C
56° C 49° C 44° C
210s 46° C
56° C 49° C 43° C
240s 48° C
55° C 49° C 43° C
270s 52° C
300s 55° C= 54° C 48° C 42° C

330s 58° C 53° C 47.5° C 42° C

360s 60° C 52° C 47° C 42° C

Ambient Temperature: 22° C Final Temperature: 41° C

Initial Temperature: 26° C

Results and Discussion

CALCULATION

Temperature: 60° C Temperature: 41° C

T(t) = Ta + (To – Ta) e –kt T(t) = Ta + (To – Ta) e –kt
60° C ( 1 min) = 22° C(26° C-22° C) e –k (1min) 41° C (20 min) = 22° C(26° C-
22° C) e –k (1min)
60 26𝑒−𝑘 (1) 820 26° C e−𝑘 20
= 𝑒6 =
20 26 26
2.31 = e –k(1min) 31.54 = e –k(20)
In (2.31) = -k(1) In (31.54) = -k(20)
0.837 −𝑘 (1) 3.35 −𝑘(20)
= 1 = 20
1 20

K = 0.837 K = 0.1725
Janine Anne L. De Vera Prof. Vitancol
BSED – Science Thermodynamics

So, we calculate and find the value of constant K. As you can see the results above, the
first value of K which has a 60° C temperature is 0.837, on the other hand, the second value of K
which has a final temperature of 41° C is 0.1725.

Conclusion

Newton's Law of Cooling states that the rate of change of the temperature of an object is
proportional to the difference between its own temperature and the ambient temperature (i.e. the
temperature of its surroundings). In doing this experiment (Newton’s Law of Cooling), before we
came up to the value of constant K we first conduct the actual experiment. We fist get the ambient
temperature, then add the water and record the initial temperature of it. After that we put the water
on the hot plate and record the temperature every 30 seconds and when the water already reaches
50-60° C temperature, we turn off the hot plate and record the temperature every 30 seconds in 20
minutes. In doing that, we calculate and get the value of K constant with this formula: T(t) = Ta +
–kt.
(To – Ta) e . and the results are 0.837 for the first and 0.1725 for the final temperature.