Required practical 2

Experiment 1: Comparing Different Insulating Materials

  1. Boil water using a kettle

  2. Transfer 80 cm³ of hot water into the small beaker

  3. Place cardboard lid on the large beaker (thermometer bulb in water)

  4. Record starting temperature and start stopwatch

  5. Record temperature every 3 minutes for 15 minutes

  6. Repeat using insulating material (e.g., bubble wrap, cotton wool, polystyrene balls) to fill gap between beakers

  7. Use same mass of insulating material in each case

Results

  • The best insulator maintains the highest temperature over the time period

Experiment 2: Effect of Insulator Thickness

  1. Start with beaker containing 80 cm³ hot water

  2. Measure temperature every 3 minutes for 15 minutes

  3. Repeat with 2 layers of newspaper wrapped around beaker

  4. Repeat with 4 layers of newspaper

  5. Repeat with 6 layers of newspaper

Results

  • More layers = slower cooling

  • More layers = more effective thermal insulator