Thermal Conductivity (4B30.12)

Description:

Five rods of different composition are attached to a steam chamber to provide equal temperatures at the bases of the rods. The rods are covered with wax, which melts and peels off as the rods heat up. Relative rates of heat conduction can be deduced from the rates at which the wax melts on each rod. The five materials in order of decreasing conductivity are: copper, aluminum, brass, steel, and glass.

Procedure or Operation Notes:

Start the steam generator at the beginning of the class, but watch it over time and DO NOT let it boil dry!

The units above are in Cal/sec-cm. In SI units, 1 Watt/meter-Kelvin = 0.0024 Cal/sec-cm.