Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Procedure: 1) Assuming that the only possibilities for adding milk are t00:00 and t14:30, a
cup of coffee without milk is made.
7) After the measure of T14:00 50 ml of milk is poured into the cup of coffee,
and at t14:30 the final temperature (T) of the cup is measured.
Equipment:
- 2 foam cups (2 · 350 ml)
- 2 beakers
- 1 thermometer (θ ºC)
- 1 stand
- 1 water boiler
- coffee
- milk (in this experiment substituted with water)
Experimental data:
Milk (substituted with water):
Tmilk = Initial temperature = 17.3 ± 0.5 ºC
1
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
Vmilk = volume = 50.0 ml
2
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
Constant temperatures:
T(I)a = ambient (constant) temperature = 25.0 ± 0.5 ºC
k = temperature constant for cup I =k
k = temperature constant for cup II =k
d (T )
∝ (Tt − Ta )
dt
⇒ ΔQ = mCΔT which allows us to write:
d (T )
⇒ = −k ⋅ (Tt − Ta ) = −k ⋅ y (Where k is negative as the coffee is cooling down.)
dt
d ( y)
⇒ = −k ⋅ y
dt
⇒ y (t ) = y0 e − k ⋅t
⇒ (Tt − Ta ) = (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t
⇒ Tt = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t
⇒ T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t
3
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
62.2 = 25.0 + (88.0 − 25.0) ⋅ e − k ⋅14
62.2 = 25.0 + 63.0 ⋅ e − k ⋅14
37.2
= e − k ⋅14
63.0
37.2
ln = −k ⋅ 14
63.0
− 0.53
= −k
14
k = 0.038 per minute
If we are to compare the two different constants (k), we see that Cup
(I) where the milk was added at the very start has a smaller constant
− k = −0.033 per minute (k is negative because the coffee cools down) than
cup (II), which has a constant of − k = −0.038 per minute.
The constants should in theory be the equal, but taking into
consideration that we poured 50 ml of milk into the cups of coffee at two
different times, the change of surface area could explain the difference in the
temperature constants, as more surface results in more energy lost. We may
therefore say that less surface would reduce the loss of heat.
We could, with regard to T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t , say that the
higher the constant – the warmer the coffee. If the constant k had been
positive, the temperature of the coffee would be increasing. If the constant k
had been 0, the temperature would be unchanged. Hence we may say that the
closer –k is to 0, the less the temperature decreases. We may easily show that
by using different values for k:
T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e 0.038⋅14 ⇒ Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ 1.70
T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e 0.033⋅14 ⇒ Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ 1.59
Increase T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e 0.000⋅14 ⇒ Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ 1.00 = T0
Constant
T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e −0.033⋅14 ⇒ Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ 0.63
Decrease
T (t ) = Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e −0.038⋅14 ⇒ Ta + (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ 0.58
Further we want to show see what is the best way to keep the coffee as
warm as possible, regarding that we either can pour milk at Ta at the very
beginning when the coffee is made or at the very end before it is consumed.
We may therefore express this in a graph where the y-axis represents
(Tt − Ta ) = (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t and where the x-axis represents time (t) in minutes.
4
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
The data points needed for plotting a graph for cup (I) are the following:
5
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
From the data points above, we are given the following graph:
6
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
From the graphs above, we can see that the rate at which a body loses
heat is greater when the difference in temperature between the body and the
surroundings (Ta) is high.
In order to compare the two cups, we have to do the same with cup
(II). The data points needed for plotting a graph for cup (II) are the following:
7
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
By plotting the data points, we get:
8
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
Initial T(t) of cup II
From the graph above, we see that the temperature drop significantly
Initial T(t) of cup I when the milk is poured into the cup. We can also compare the all in one
graph.
Ambient temperature
Conclusion: From the experiment done, we have shown that the best time to add
non-heated milk in the coffee is at t00:00, Cup (I). As the graph(s) decreases
d (T )
exponentially, we can also say that ∝ (Tt − Ta ) , or that the rate at
dt
which a body loses heat is proportional to the difference in temperature
between the body and the surroundings.
9
Physics experiment #13: Hot Coffee
Nicolai Solheim, 3IBG
Physics 3HL
Another questionable aspect is the thermometers used in the
experiment. There were used old thermometers, giving both uncertainties
regarding human eye measurements and possible failures and misleading
measurements on the old thermometers. One could use modern digital
thermometers to reduce the possibilities for human mistakes, and the
measurements would probably be more correct.
An aspect is the function (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t . As it do not take the milk
poured into the coffee into consideration, it is difficult to calculate the correct
constant k. When the milk is added, there is a considerable change in the
temperature taking place, making it difficult to find the exact constant. What
could be done, as k should be the same for both cups, was to have another cup
without milk with the purpose of calculating k. This would, however, make
the experiment much more complicated as we would have to take the area of
the surface into consideration. The function (T0 − Ta ) ⋅ e − k ⋅t does not take
change of surface area into consideration. As we know; when the milk is
added (50 ml) , the area of the surface becomes bigger and the heat loss
greater. We would then have to take this into consideration. In order to keep
the coffee warm, having as little surface area as possible would probably be a
good thing.
10