Equilibration

Place thermometers in four plastic cups. Leave one cup dry; add 60 milliters (2 ounces = 4 tablespoons) of tap water to one; add 60 milliliters of hot water to one; and add 60 milliliters of very cold water to one.   (Please note how "hot water" and "cold water" are defined). Measure the temperature of each cup every few minutes for 15 minutes, entering your measurements into a table. (It is a good idea to stir the container briefly with the thermometer before you make each measurement.)

At the end of the activity, write a commentary on what you learned: how long do the cups "remember" how they started? How different are the temperatures at the end? If you measured the temperature of other objects in the room, what temperature would they be? What does this activity have to do with the previous one? When the hot water cooled down, where did its thermal energy go?


Check the box when you are done:   Science content: room temperature