6661 Heat Transfer

This week’s experiment involved “Heat Insulators.” We had a choice of four materials. Therefore, I chose newspaper, cotton cloth, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. I setup my experiment in the following manner:
1. Boil water; take out a measuring cup, four mugs, and the four materials along with four rubber bands.
2. Measure the water the same amount for each cup; I used ¼ of a cup. Pour water in each cup.
3. Cover each cup with the testing material and hold it down with the rubber band. Wait 30 in.
4. Then place the thermometer in the water in each cup and record the data. Before dipping into the next cup place the thermometer in a cup with cold water to get the temperature down.
My prediction was somewhat correct; the aluminum reached 92°F (but so did the plastic wrap), then newspaper, and cloth followed. I would integrate this experiment with coffee. Students will be posed with the problem, “what makes the best insulator for Mrs. Lisowski’s coffee?” My students would be exploring by testing different materials to find out which is the best container (insulator). They would derive at their answer when the hot or ice-cold temperature decreases the least therefore does not allow for it escape easily.

I would like my students to be able to compare how water compares in a form of a liquid, solid, and gas. Would the temperature be the same after 30 minutes? Does the temperature drop more with one state of matter than the other? How can my students use this information to help me find the best coffee cup? Will I need one for my cold latte and another for my hot?