Develop a small scale investigation that shows how transfer of thermal energy affects temperature of matter. Determine what independent and dependent variables you will use and how many trials you will run

Question

1- ice pack in warm water
2- melting chocolate or freezing melted chocolate
3- freezing or melting ice
4-boiling water
5- adding a hot object to cold liquid or vice versa

Answer 1

Small Scale Investigation: The Transfer of Thermal Energy and Its Effect on Temperature

Investigation Topic:

How does the transfer of thermal energy affect the temperature of matter?

Investigation Scenario:

We will investigate the effect of the thermal energy transfer between a warm water bath and an ice pack, examining how the temperature of the ice pack changes over time when placed in warm water.

Materials Needed:

• Ice pack (one or two)
• Warm water (about 60-70°C)
• Thermometer (to measure temperature)
• Stopwatch or timer
• Container (to hold warm water)
• Data recording sheet

Variables:

• Independent Variable: Time (duration the ice pack is in warm water)
• Dependent Variable: Temperature of the ice pack
• Control Variables: Volume of warm water, initial temperature of the ice pack, type and size of the ice pack, ambient temperature

Procedure:

1. Fill the container with a known volume of warm water and measure its initial temperature.
2. Obtain the initial temperature of the ice pack before placing it in the warm water.
3. Place the ice pack into the warm water and start the timer.
4. At regular intervals (e.g., every minute), measure the temperature of the ice pack and the warm water. Record the temperatures in a data sheet.
5. Continue the measurements until the ice pack has reached the temperature of the warm water or a maximum of 10 minutes.
6. Repeat the experiment for a total of 3 trials, ensuring that each time you start with a new ice pack and the same conditions.

Trials:

• Number of Trials: 3 trials
• After each trial, allow the warm water to cool and replace it before the next trial. Make sure the ice pack is allowed to return to its initial state (if possible) before each subsequent trial.

Data Collection:

• Create a table to record the time, temperature of the ice pack, and temperature of the warm water at each interval.

Analysis:

• Plot the temperatures of the ice pack against time to visualize the thermal energy transfer.
• Calculate the average temperature change of the ice pack over the trials and analyze the rate at which thermal energy is transferred.

Conclusion:

Through this investigation, we aim to demonstrate how thermal energy transfer affects the temperature of matter, specifically focusing on the melting effect caused by the warm water on the ice pack. The gathered data and analysis will provide insight into the principles of thermodynamics and energy transfer.