Is air a good insulator? Essay Example

half-filled water can. The following table summarizes our preliminary experiment results for both a full and half-full can:

Full can

Time Temperature

08:20 760.5

10:58

Half-full can

Time Temperature

08:20

10:58 0.5

The series of numbers 5751801751.5791.5742792742.5782.5733783723.5773

5724774714.5764.5705765705.5765.5696756696.5756.

Conclusion (for preliminary experiment)

The findings indicate that a 30-second wait time may not yield accurate measurements and extending the waiting period to 45 seconds could be required. Nonetheless, it is crucial to recognize that the trial was executed under suboptimal circumstances. Potential sources of measurement inaccuracies include defective equipment and imprecise timer readings, as well as lids that were inadequately fastened.

To guarantee precision and prevent errors in my experiment, I acquainted myself with the equipment setup. After conducting a preliminary experiment, I decided to utilize a can that was half-full since it produced more consistent results. In my initial trial, I will wrap the can entirely with small bubble wrap including its base to provide insulation both on its sides and underneath.

The experiment involves using an elastic band to secure bubble wrap around a can to ensure its stability during the test. Boiling water will be poured into the can, causing immediate heating of the metal and vibration of the air inside the small bubbles in the wrapped material due to its conductivity. The resulting vibrations will transfer heat from the bubble wrap to the metal can, increasing its retention time. In a second experiment, larger bubble wrap will be used, wrapping around and securing both top and bottom with an elastic band.

When boiling water is poured into a metal can, the can will quickly heat up due to the vibrations of its particles. The air particles in the bubble wrap surrounding the

can also vibrate, causing it to remain hot. Using small bubble wrap would be more effective than large bubble wrap because the smaller space allows for more intense vibration of the air particles.

Wrapping a metal can in bubble wrap causes it to become warmer due to the increased vibration of air particles inside smaller bubbles. However, larger bubble wrap with larger spaces results in longer time for air particles to vibrate against the can and keep it warm. Alternatively, tightly wrapping a polythene bag around a metal can without any air space prevents air particles from vibrating within the bag when boiling water is poured into the can.

The experiment involves placing a polythene bag around the metal can filled with air and securing it with an elastic band. When boiling water is poured in, it becomes evident that the confined space around the metal can contains more air particles. The heating of the can causes its particles to vibrate against the air particles in the polythene bag, leading to increased vibration of the air particles and ultimately helping the tin retain heat for a longer period.

Fair Test

It was not possible to start all cans at the same temperature due to a lack of equipment to maintain water's constant temperature and quantity. Also, there could have been errors in measurements because of lapses in securing metal can lids.

Prediction

In my view, the order of thermal insulation effectiveness is small bubble rap, big bubble rap, metal can with an air-filled bag and lastly a polythene-wrapped can without any air based on the most probable scenario.

Evaluation

Wrong measurements during half the experiment may have

led to inaccurate results. Additionally, some air might have escaped through the lid hole which posed further issues.

During the experiment, the thermometer was occasionally removed and inserted into the metal can which could have caused slight changes. To increase accuracy, proper cans with no air leakage should be used instead of the ones I currently have. Additionally, bubble wrap and polythene bags need to be secured tightly. It's also important to maintain a consistent water level and temperature at the start of each trial. Lastly, external disturbances to the metal can should be eliminated and thermometer readings must be precise. Any anomalous results have been circled on the tables to highlight any potential errors during the experiment.

The graph has two circled areas where incorrect results affected its appearance. However, my prediction regarding the order of effective insulators was correct.