Name: ___________________________________
Date: _______________________
Period: _______________
Conduction Lab
Objective:
Students will identify and analyze conduction as a form of heat transfer.
Materials:
2 Insulated Cups
U-Shaped Aluminum
Hot Water
Cold Water
2 Thermometers
Hypothesis/Variables/Problem:
Review the procedures for the investigation and then identify the problem, independent
variable, dependent variable, and write an appropriate hypothesis relative to how the
temperatures will change over time in the two containers.
Problem (This should be written in the form a question that will be answered by completing the
investigation)
How will _____________________________________________ change over
______________________ in the two containers?
Independent Variable (This is the factor that is intentionally changed in an investigation)
This investigation is designed to see if _____________________________ the
independent variable will have any impact on the temperature of the water.
Dependent Variable (This is the factor that changes as a result of the independent variable, it is
what is measured to determine if the independent variable has the expected effect)
The dependent variable ___________________________ is measured in degrees
__________________________ and may change as a result of time.
Hypothesis (This should be written in If (independent variable), then (dependent variable)
format and should answer the question posed as the problem)
If the containers with water are allowed to sit over a period of ________________,
then the _________________________________ of the water will
__________________________.
Procedure:
1. Connect the two containers by inserting the ends of the aluminum bar into the large slots
in the two lids. Press the bar all the way down.
2. Place thermometers into the small slots in both of the two lids.
3. Fill the Cold water cup with cold water to one centimeter from the top.
4. Fill the Hot water cup with hot water to one centimeter from the top. Quickly and carefully
place the lid on both cups at the same time. See figure below:
Metal Bar
Thermometer
Insulated
Cups
Hot
Water
Cold
Water
5. Let the cups sit for 1-2 minutes until the hot cup thermometer stops changing. Then record
the starting temperature for each cup.
6. Record the temperature in each container for 16 minutes, at one minute intervals.
7. After recording the data for five minutes, touch the bar and note observations.
8. Record the control data (no bar) from data chart provided by the teacher.
9. Complete graphical analysis of the data.
a. Graph the results, with temperature as the dependent variable (vertical axis) and
time as the independent variable (horizontal axis).
b. Use a red line for the hot water data and a blue line for the cold water.
c. Remember to use TAILS in constructing your graph.
10. Complete the questions and conclusion based on the instructions that follow.
*Data: Bar at five minutes is: ____________________________________________________
Temperature (0C)
Cups
1 2 3 4 5* 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Control (No Bar)
Connected
with Metal
Bar
Difference
Hot
Cold
Questions:
1. What was the temperature difference in the hot water cup?
Highest Temperature – Lowest Temperature =Temperature Difference
__________________ - ____________________ = _________________________
2. What was the temperature difference in the cold cup?
Highest Temperature – Lowest Temperature =Temperature Difference
__________________ - ____________________ = _________________________
3. Which cup lost the most heat energy? Which gained the most heat energy? How do you
know?
The ______________________ water cup lost the most energy because the temperature
_________________________ the most. The ______________________ water cup gained
the most energy because the temperature _________________________ the most. This
can be determined by subtracting the ______________________ temperature from the
______________________ temperature.
4. Did the amount of heat energy lost by one cup equal the heat energy gained by the other
one? If not, explain where the lost heat went.
One cup had a temperature difference of _______________ degrees and the other cup had
a difference of _________________ degrees. Since these numbers are
___________________ heat was ____________________________________.
5. In which direction did heat apparently flow between the two containers (hotcold or
coldhot)?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Which method of heat transfer took place between the cups? Explain your response.
______________________________ took place because the aluminum bar
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Base on your observations, where was the most heat lost? (Hint: Where did you feel the
heat being lost?)
The most heat was lost ___________________________________________________
because ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
8. Determine at least one way you could reduce the amount of heat lost in this lab. How does
this relate to the design of your house?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Analysis:
Label: (This should be of the format Dependent Variable (Units)):
_______________________________________________
Title (This should follow a format of dependent vs. independent)
___________________________________________________________
100
96
92
88
84
80
76
72
68
64
60
56
52
48
44
40
36
32
28
24
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Label: (This should be of the format Independent Variable (Units)):
_______________________________________________
Conclusion:
Write a conclusion for the lab which includes the following parts:
 Restate the purpose for doing the experiment.
 Restate your hypothesis and whether it was correct or incorrect.
 Summarize and analyze your data. Discuss trends and reasons for the trends. Be sure
to cite your data.
 Discuss how what you have learned in this experiment may apply outside the lab; for
example, in reducing energy costs in your home.
This experiment was completed in order to determine if the __________________
_________________________ was able to transfer _________________________
from a container with ____________________ ______________________ to a
container with ____________________ ______________________. They
hypothesis stated that if _______________________________________________
, then______________________________________________________________.
The hypothesis was proven to be _________________________________ during
the experiment.
The data showed that energy moved from the ____________________
______________________ to the ____________________
______________________ because the temperature decreased by
_______________ degrees in the _____________ container. The temperature
increased by __________________ degrees in the _________________ container.
When the graph is examined the lines look like they are ______________________
of one another, one goes __________________________ while the other goes
____________________________.
It seems as though some energy was ________________________ since the
temperature difference between the two containers was not the ______________.
This may have been caused by __________________________________________.
It would be important to consider heat loss when building a house because
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.