How Can You Measure Heat Transfer?
This project helps students become acquainted with basic knowledge about heat transfer and every condition that helps it happen. Heat transfer refers to the flow of thermal energy brought about by consequential temperature changes and dissemination and temperature variations.
Heat usually moves from the warm end to the cool end. It usually moves as via direct contact through processes like radiation and convection. The moment heat flows, thermal energy and temperature elevate. The level of heat also depends on material and size of the object.
The objective of this experiment is how to measure heat transfer.
What you need:
• Clock with the seconds hand
• 2 plastic Styrofoam cups
• 1 paper clip
• 1 pen
• 1 bolt
• 1 pencil
• 1 large pot
• 1 thermometer (use Celsius)
• 1 Bunsen burner
• 1 pair of tongs
How to do it:
1. Make sure you have all the materials you need.
2. Don’t forget to put on your gloves, safety goggles, and apron.
3. Prepare a notebook for recording your observations.
4. Be careful when using any burner. Tie your hair back or use a hair net.
5. Label the cups “#1” and “#2”.
6. Measure 75 ml of tap water with your graduated cylinder. Pour the water into cup #1.
7. Using a sharp pencil, puncture a hole on #2 cup’s rim. Slip the thermometer into the hole carefully.
8. Invert the #2 cup and place it on top of the #1 cup. Ensure that the thermometer is in dipped in the water of cup #1.
9. Take note of the temperature.
10. Light your Bunsen burner. With your tongs, pick up the bolt. Hold the bolt in the flame for about ten seconds.
11. Remove cup #2 from the top of cup #1 and put the heated bolt in cup #1’s water. Replace the #2 cup on top of the #1 cup. Record the temperature.
12. Leave the setup for about 30 seconds and record the temperature again. Document the highest temperature.
13. Remove the used water from cup #1. Place fresh tap water in the cup. Repeat steps eight to twelve with the paper clip and the nut.
14. Using the formula HEAT = WATER MASS x CHANGE IN TEMP x SPECIFIC HEAT, find heat using water’s specific heat 4186 J/kg x degrees Celsius.
15. Study your data.
16. Answer the following questions:
a. Why did the water’s temperature rise?
b. What data did you get using the paper clip and the cup?
c. Can you explain the results you obtained?
17. Write your report. Make sure you add in your research as well as your bibliography or references.
Data Chart:
Objects Water mass Initial Temperature Final Temperature Difference or Change in Temperature Amount of heat transferred
Bolt (iron)
Nut (iron)
Paper clip
Through heat transfer, you can cook, boil, and warm something quickly. Metals such as iron and water seem to be the common materials involved in daily heat transfer. You can very well perform this experiment with other metals and liquids to see how heat transfer occurs in them.