Physics - thermal insulators

Question 1

How to investigate the effectiveness of thermal insulators

Answer 1

1. Place a small beaker inside a larger one
2. Use a kettle to boil some water
3. Transfer 80cm3 of the hot water into the small beaker
4. use a piece if cardboard as a lid for the large beaker
5. place the thermometer through the hole and make sure the bulb of the thermometer is in the hot water
6. record the starting temperature of the water and start a stopwatch
7. Record the temperature of the water every 3 minutes for 15 minutes
8. Repeat the experiment but this time using an insulating material to fill the gap between the two beakers
9. Test a range of insulating material

Question 2

why should the cardboard lid have a hole

Answer 2

for the thermometer to be placed

Question 3

what is the independent variable of this experiment

Answer 3

the insulating material

Question 4

dependent variable in this experiment

Answer 4

temperature

Question 5

control variables

Answer 5

volume of water and mass of insulating material

Question 6

how to investigate how the thickness of a material affects the thermal insulation

Answer 6

1. Start with 80cm3 of hot water in a beaker
2. measure the temperature of the water every 3 minutes for 15 minutes
3. Repeat the experiment but add two layers of newspaper around the beaker
4. Repeat the experiment using four layers then six layers of newspaper
   Independent- number if layers of newspaper
   Dependent - temperature