Insulators and Thermal Energy Formative Assessment
Students did 2 experiments to determine the ability of various types and thicknesses of materials to insulate a sample of hot water.
Experiment 1
The students measured out 100 milliliters (mL) of water in a glass beaker. The sample was heated to 65℃ and then poured into styrofoam cup A. The wall of styrofoam cup A was 2 centimeters (cm) thick. The temperature of the water was recorded after 10 minutes passed. The procedure was repeated for styrofoam cups B, C, and D (see Table 1).
Table 1 | ||
Styrofoam Cup | Thickness of Wall (cm) | Temperature after 10 minutes (℃) |
A | 2 | 50 |
B | 4 | 54 |
C | 6 | 59 |
D | 8 | 63 |
Experiment 2
The students measured out 100 milliliters (mL) of water in a glass beaker. The sample was heated to 65℃ and then poured into cup A. The temperature of the water was recorded after 10 minutes passed. The procedure was repeated for cups B, C, and D. The wall of each cup was 2 cm thick, but the type of material the cup was made of varied (see Table 1).
Table 2 | ||
Cup | Type of Cup | Temperature after 10 minutes (℃) |
A | Styrofoam | 51 |
B | Plastic | 38 |
C | Paper | 37 |
D | Ceramic | 43 |
1. Based on Table 1, what was the temperature after 10 minutes for Cup B?
2. Based on Table 2, after 10 minutes the temperature of the water in Cup D was how much greater than the temperature of the water in Cup A?
3. A student in Experiment 2 concludes that the type of material does not influence the change in temperature of the water after 5 minutes. Explain why this student’s conclusion is incorrect and provide support for your explanation with evidence from the experiment.