2. Problem Statement and variables Problem Statement: What color surface will maintain the highest temperature of the water? Independent Variable: Color surfaces: blue, pink, green, black, and white Dependent Variable: Final temperature of the water
3. Introduction In this experiment we are expecting the water on the black surface to maintain a lower temperature. This is because the color black absorbs heat easily. We are expecting the temperature of the water on the white surface to maintain a higher temperature because the color white reflects heat. The other colors, pink, blue, and green, will maintain temperatures that are not as high as the black but not as low as the white.
4. Procedure 1. Heat water to 100˚C. 2. Pour 236.588237 milliliters (1 cup) of heated water into the ceramic mug. 3. Place the mug onto a black sheet of paper. 4. Measure the temperature of the water in five minute intervals for one hour. 5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the blue, pink, green, and white surfaces. 6. Record the temperatures for each color in the data table.
16. Equations (Average) Hot Pink: y = 0.0032x2 - 1.1768x + 99.576 White: y = 0.013x2 - 1.6856x + 98.236 Green: y = 0.0115x2 - 1.5954x + 98.767 Black: y = 0.0118x2 - 1.7138x + 95.094 Blue: y = 0.0124x2 - 1.701x + 99.393
17. Validity This experiment was valid because there were controlled variables, such as the amount of water we put into each mug and the types of mugs we used. The water in each mug started out at the same temperature. Also, we did three trials so that our results were more precise. The results did end up being precise. For the white surfaces, the temperatures for the water after 60 minutes were 45°, 45°, and 46° C. But, the timing was a source of error. There were a few seconds in between measuring the temperature of the water from cup to cup when the five minute intervals ended. We did not consider this when we set up the experiment. In Trial 1, we did not hear the timer go off for one of the five minute intervals. We may have waited to measure the temperature for six or seven minutes instead of five. For the blue surface, the temperatures of each interval of Trial 1 appear to be a little lower than those of Trial 2 and 3. At 15 minutes, Trial 1’s temperature was 72.1° while Trial 2 and 4’s were 74.7° and 74.3°. Although some of our results did not turn out as we predicted, the majority of this experiment was valid.