Experiment 4 (Heat transfer through liquids)

Aim:

To see how heat travels through water.

Problem:

How does heat move through water when it's heated?

Materials:

• A pot
• Water
• Small pieces of paper
• A source of heat (stove, etc.)
• Matches
• A thermometer

Hypothesis:

(Implied by the aim) Heat will make the water move, carrying the paper with it.

Procedure:

1. Put the small pieces of paper into the pot.
2. Pour water into the pot with the pieces of paper and wait for five minutes. Observe what happens to the paper.
3. Use the thermometer to measure the water's temperature and write it down.
4. Put the pot with the water and paper on the stove. (See diagram below.) Wait for ten minutes.
5. Use the thermometer to measure the water's temperature again and write it down.
6. Observe what happened to the pieces of paper and the water's temperature after heating.

Heat transfer through water

Results:

• When the paper was first put in the water, it stayed at the bottom, showing the water wasn't moving much.
• When the water was heated, the paper started moving around, showing the water was moving.
• The temperature of the water increased after being heated.

Conclusion:

• This experiment shows that heat travels through water by a process called convection.
• When water is heated, it moves, carrying heat and the paper with it.