A block of wood with a small hole just large enough to hold the thermometer A bl

Question

A block of wood with a small hole just large enough to hold the thermometer

A block of stainless steel with a small hole just large enough to hold the thermometer

A lump of clay that holds a thermometer

You are asked to come to the counter, close your eyes (The thermometers have tape over the scale so you cannot cheat.), and touch each object, and then rank them according to temperature from warmest to coolest. How do you think you would rate these objects, based on your previous experience with these material types

explain how you believe you would rank these materials, and why you would rank them as you describe.

Do you think that the thermometer reading will prove you right?

Explanation / Answer

thermal conductivity (property of material to conduct heat) of the material are as follows:

steel=40 W/(mK)

wood=0.04-0.4 W/(mK)

clay=0.6-2.5 W/(mK)

the material with higher thermal conductivity will transfer heat rapidly through itself. So when at room temperature (assuming 25oC), we will touch the stainless steel heat from our hand will get transfered to it quickly so it will feel cooler followed by clay then wood. so according to temperature from highest to lowest it would be arranged as wood>clay>steel.

In general, reading of thermometer will depend upon the enviromental temperature, suppose if the weather is hot , steel would conduct heat through itself and would become hottest followed by clay then wood. and case of winter, steel would be at closest temperature followed by wood, clay. so the one with the maximum difference would be wood and the one with minimum difference would be steel (rest clay).

supposingly room temperature = approx 15oC, which can be considered cool, steel would feel the coldest and the reading of thermometer would also be lowest followed by clay and wood. in that case thermometer reading will proove us right.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.