Heat Transfer Investigation

For the weekly experiment exploring heat transfer, I chose to use common materials from my kitchen. The four materials I used were a rubber lid opener, aluminum foil, plastic Saran wrap, and a Bounty paper towel. I have found myself covering food with several of these materials in the past, so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about each of their properties in relation to heat.

After letting water sit in identical mugs, each covered by one of the materials, for thirty minutes, I retested the temperature of the water. The results showed the water in the mug covered by aluminum foil was the warmest by one degree Celsius. This was interesting to me because when I first came up with my hypothesis, I almost wrote foil would have the hottest water. I often use this material to cover food out of the oven to keep it warm until dinnertime. Yet, when I thought harder, I realized that aluminum foil is actually a conductor, not an insulator. This realization made me think that heat would not have been as efficiently held in the water as it would with one of the insulators, rubber, for instance. So much for what I know!

The water covered by foil was the warmest followed by plastic Saran wrap, the rubber lid opener, and the coolest was the paper towel. These results make me believe that foil, plastic, and rubber are good insulators. I might test this experiment again to verify the conclusion.

In addition to repeating my exact experiment, I think it would be fun to try out other variables. For instance, I would like to know if I would get similar results if I changed out the water with a different object. I mentioned previously that I use Saran wrap and aluminum foil to cover meals at home if I want to keep them warm. I might test a chicken breast or tomato soup to see how much heat they lose when covered by the same four materials I used. I would think the rate of heat lost may have something to do with surface area and the properties of the food. I would think that water would lose heat quicker than chicken.

Not only would I try changing the substance being tested, but it would also be interesting to change a different variable such as the type of container in which the water is being held. I would test the original mug, a plastic cup, a tin can, and a Styrofoam cup. I would think the Styrofoam cup would aid in insulating the water and therefore slowing the release of heat. There are endless combinations of variables to try out in relation to heat transfer. I enjoyed this experiment. If you try it, have fun!