physics - thermal insulation

Question 1

what are the steps of the practical for thermal insulation?

Answer 1

• wrap glass beakers in different insulating materials
• boil water in a kettle and pour into each beaker
• record the initial temperature of the water in each beaker
• record how the temperature changes every few minutes

Question 2

what piece of apparatus is used to measure temperature?

Answer 2

a thermometer

Question 3

what insulating materials could you test?

Answer 3

• newspaper
• corrugated cardboard
• bubble wrap
• polystyrene
• cotton wool
• tin foil

Question 4

how to secure the material around the beaker?

Answer 4

use rubber bands

Question 5

why is one beaker used without any insulating material?

Answer 5

to act as a control beaker. it can be used to compare the temperature drop of the water with and without any insulation

Question 6

What other step should be taken to insulate the beaker?

Answer 6

cut out a circle for the lid of the beaker to reduce heat loss from the top. the lid should have a small hole for the thermometer

Question 7

what readings are taken and how often?

Answer 7

record the temperature of the water in fixed intervals of around 3 minutes

Question 8

how to compare the effectiveness of different insulators?

Answer 8

compare the temperature change that has occurred over a fixed period of time. The smaller the temperature change, the more effective the insulator is.

Question 9

what else can be tested during this practical?

Answer 9

the effectiveness of different thicknesses of the same insulator

Question 10

what safety precautions should be followed?

Answer 10

• avoid touching the beaker after heating
• place on a heatproof mat when hot
• be careful when pouring hot water to avoid burns
• the beaker could crack, so don’t touch any sharp shards of glass