PRACTICE EXERCISE-CHARLES

(a) State the meaning of the term “thermal insulator”.

A thermal insulator is a material or substance that reduces or prevents the transfer of heat.

(b) Most cups used to serve coffee are manufactured using the following materials: cardboard,
polypropylene and polystyrene.

The following materials are provided to test the insulation properties of the different cups:

. 1 cardboard cup

. 1 polypropylene cup

. 1 polystyrene cup

. hot water (approximately 90°C)

. stopwatch

Design a complete and safe method to test which cup is the best thermal insulator. In your
answer you should include:

. an identification of the independent, dependent and two control variables

. a list of any additional equipment needed

. a justification of why the additional equipment is necessary

. how you will collect sufficient data

. a description of your method

. a relevant safety consideration.

Answer questions according to the prompt)

Independent variable: Type of cup (cardboard, polystyrene, polypropylene)
Dependent variable: Temperature change in hot water overtime (Degrees Celsius)
Control variables:
 Initial temperature of hot water
 Volume of hot water in each cup
 Environmental conditions (Room temperature)
 Type of liquid used in each cup
Equipment:
 Thermometer: To measure the final and initial temperature of the water.
 250 cm3 measuring cylinder: To measure the volume of hot water in each cup
 250 cm3 beaker: To store heated water in so it can be distributed between the cups.
 Water bath: To heat the water to a certain temperature.
 Insulated gloves: To prevent burns while handling hot water and cups.
 Tongs: To hold the beaker when it’s hot.
Collection of sufficient data:
 Repeat trials at least three times to improve accuracy.
 At least 5 increments of the independent variable
 Using appropriate or more advanced tools to ensure accurate data is obtained.
Method:
1. Gather all equipment needed.
2. Pour water to fill the 250 cm3 beaker.
3. Use the water bath to heat the water in the beaker. Place a thermometer into the beaker to
monitor the temperature.
4. When the thermometer reads approximately 90 degrees, take the beaker out of the water
bath using tongs.
5. Use the 250 cm3 measuring cylinder to measure 80 cm3 of hot water for each of the three
cups.
6. Use the thermometer to measure and record the initial temperature of hot water in each
cup.
7. Start the stopwatch and record the temperature of water in each cup every five minutes.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 three times
9. Calculate the average temperature change for each cup over the experimental period.
Safety precautions:
 Wear insulated gloves to prevent burns while handling the hot water and cups.
 Use tongs to move the beaker with hot water around to prevent burns.
 Move any electronic device or appliances from the area you’re working in case of any
spillages.
(c) A group of students in a local school performed the experiment and collected the following
data.

They hypothesized:

The polypropylene cup would keep the heat inside the container for a longer period of time
because the polypropylene cup prevents heat from leaving the system.

The data from the students’ experiment is shown in the graph below.

Discuss the validity of the hypothesis using data from the graph.
The hypothesis states that “The polypropylene cup would keep the heat inside the container
for a longer period of time because the polypropylene cup prevents heat from leaving the
system”. According to the graph, the blue line which represents the polypropylene cup decreases
rapidly at the first 10 minutes then slowly decreases. This tells us that the cup isn’t able to keep
heat inside the container for a very long time, therefore the hypothesis is wrong.

(d) According to the results in part (c), suggest an improvement and an extension to the
students’ experiment. Justify your answer.
Improvements:
 Instead of using a line graph, the student should use a bar graph because he is comparing
three cups and their ability to hold hot water over a period of time.
 The students should include a title in their line graph.