Q&A for How to Do a Simple Heat Conduction Experiment

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Which conducts heat better, aluminum or copper?

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Copper has a higher thermal conductivity, and therefore is superior to aluminum in processor cooling. Copper is better at conducting heat than aluminum, but aluminum is able to radiate the heat into the air better than copper because of its lower density.

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What does this experiment show about the conduction of heat?

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It shows that even though the flame is in one place, the heat can travel through the metallic bonds/sea of electrons.

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How does the temperature of the water effect the experiment?

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Because it is showing heat transfer, it won't have accurate results if you don't have the right temp.

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Question

Why must I use wax?

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Wax is good to use because it easily melts, and you can stick things to it.

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What is the depended variable in the first experiment (the different materials and butter)?

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The dependent variable is the thing that will change each time you repeat the experiment after changing the independent variable. It is dependent on the independent variable. Sometimes people will say it is the thing that you measure. The extent of melting of the butter is the dependent variable if you are looking at how much the butter melted after a set period of time (as described in method 1). You could also wait until the butter had completely melted, in which case it would be the time taken for the butter to melt.

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What is the accurate temperature for the hot water?

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As long as the water is hot enough to heat the metal spoon, it will be fine.

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What happens to the spoon when it put in the boiling water?

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Thermal energy transfers to it because of conduction. When things touch and something is heated, that is called conduction.

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Why did the pins fall in the sequence they did?

Community Answer

The metal rod has one side hot and another side cold. Heat flows from hot to cold. The pins nearer to the hot side will fall first as the wax there melts first. Then second, third...etc.

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