Lab Report

Experiment Number: H3
Experiment Name: Thermal conduction in solid bodies.

COURSE TITLE: University Physics – I Lab

COURSE ID: PHY101L
SECTION: 15
SUBMITTED TO: Dr. Md. Mahbub Alam
Department of Physical Science, Independent
University, Bangladesh
SUBMITTED BY:
Shovik Sarker
Student Id: 2325652
Serial No: 25
Experiment Number: H3
Experiment Name: Thermal conduction in solid bodies.
Assignment:
To investigate the conduction of heat in various metals
and calculate the rate of energy transfer through the
metals.
Introduction:
Thermal conduction in solid bodies is an important topic in the field of
physics, as it helps us to understand how heat energy is transferred
through different materials. The aim of this experiment is to investigate the
conduction of heat in various metals and calculate the rate of energy
transfer through them.
The conduction of heat refers to the transfer of thermal energy from a
hotter object to a colder object through direct contact. In solids, this transfer
occurs through the vibrations of atoms and molecules, which are
transferred from one particle to another. The rate of energy transfer is
dependent on the material's thermal conductivity, the temperature
difference between the two objects, and the surface area and thickness of
the material.
In this experiment, we will be using different metal rods of various lengths
and diameters to investigate the rate of energy transfer through each of
them. We will be measuring the temperatures at the ends of the rods and
calculating the rate of energy transfer using Fourier's law of heat
conduction.
Understanding the conduction of heat in solids is not only essential in
physics but also has practical applications in industries such as
construction, manufacturing, and electronics. By studying the rate of energy
transfer in different metals, we can determine which materials are best
suited for specific applications and make informed decisions about energy-
efficient designs.
Theory:
If heat is transferred through a medium (or a body) only due to the
energy transfer from one
particle to other particle of the medium; that is, if the particles of
the medium do not take part
in transferring process then the process is known as conduction.
In solid bodies the heat is
transferred by conduction process.
We can calculate the amount of heat which is transferred from
one end to other of a body of
length L and area A. Experiment shows that for a body with
uniform cross section the heat
transfer per unit time is directly proportional to the area of the
body, temperature difference
between two ends of the body and inversely proportional to the
length of the body.

H=KA ¿ ¿

Where,
H = heat transferred per unit time is known as the heat current.
K = Proportionality constant known as thermal conductivity of the
body
A = Area of the object
L = length of the object
∅ intial = Initial temperature
∅ final = Final temperature
∆θ = Difference in temperature
Where, K is a proportionality constant known as thermal
conductivity of the body.
The quantity H is the heat transferred per unit time is known as
the heat current.

Known Thermal Conductivity

Copper 401 W/m k

Steel 14 W/m k

Apparatus:
 I. 1. Beaker
II. 2. Substance (Copper, Steel)
III. 3. Water (20ml)
IV. 4. Thermometer
V. 5. Meter rule
VI. 6. Spirit Burner
VII. 7. Vernier Caliper
VIII. 8. Stopwatc
IX. 1. Beaker
X. 2. Substance (Copper, Steel)
XI. 3. Water (20ml)
XII. 4. Thermometer
XIII. 5. Meter rule
XIV. 6. Spirit Burner
XV. 7. Vernier Caliper
 XVI. 8. Stopwatc
XVII. 1. Beaker
XVIII. 2. Substance (Copper, Steel)
XIX. 3. Water (20ml)
XX. 4. Thermometer
XXI. 5. Meter rule
XXII. 6. Spirit Burner
XXIII. 7. Vernier Caliper
XIV. 8. Stopwatc
1. Beaker
2. Substance (Copper, Steel)
3. Water (20ml)
4. Thermometer
5. Meter rule
6. Spirit Burner
7. Vernier Caliper
8. Stopwatch

Observations & Measurements:

Table 1: Measurement of temperature in various metals with time.

Time Rise in
Substanc t Temperatur Temperature Rise in
e (min) In Temperature per
e 5 min ∆θ
θ (°C)
unit time
∆∅
(°C) (∆ ∅= 5 )

(°C /min)
0 28
1.0 28.6 12.4 2.48
Copper 2.0 30.6
3.0 33.4
4.0 37.8
5.0 40.4
0 26.8
Steel 1.0 26.9
0.8 0.16
2.0 27
3.0 27.2
4.0 27.3
5.0 27.6
Table 2: Measurement of Copper radius
(Vernier Constant = 0.05 mm = 0.005 cm)

Radius of Copper
No Main Vernier Vernier
of Scale Scale scale Diamete Radius Average
reading r R = d/2 r
Obs. reading reading
V=bx0.005 D = a+v (cm) (cm)
a b (cm)
(cm) (cm)
1. 0.3 7.5×2=15 0.075 0.375 0.1875
2. 0.3 8 ×2=16 0.08 0.38 0.19 0.19
3. 0.3 8.5× 2=17 0.385 0.385 0.1925
 Table 3: Measurement of Steel radius
(Vernier Constant = 0.05 mm = 0.005 cm)

Radius of Steel
No Main Vernier Vernier
of Scale Scale scale Diamete Radius Average
reading r R = d/2 r
Obs. reading reading
V=bx0.005 D = a+v (cm) (cm)
a b (cm)
(cm) (cm)
1. 0.4 9×2=18 0.09 0.49 0.195
2. 0.4 9×2=18 0.09 0.49 0.195 0.195
3. 0.4 9×2=18 0.09 0.49 0.195

Calculations:

Length of Copper, Lc = 0.2 m

Radius of Copper, r = 1.9 ×10 m
c
−3

Area of Copper, Ac = π r2

=3.1416× (1.9 ×10 )²

−3

= 1.134 ×10 −5
m2
 Length of Steel, L = 0.19 m s

Radius of Steel, r = 1.95 ×10 m s

−3

Area of Steel, As = πr
2

=3.1416 (1.95 × ×10

−3
²
)

= 1.95 ×10 −5
m2

For Copper:
Heat transferred per unit time,
Kc Ac ∆ ∅
H=
Lc

W
401 k ×1.134 ×10−5 m2 ×2.48
m
¿
0.2 m

¿ 56.3×10 −5
J /min

Average rise in Temperature per unit time = 2.48 °C /min

 For Steel:
Heat transferred per unit time,
K s As ∆ ∅
H=
Ls

14 W /m k × 1.95× 10−5 m2 × 0.16

¿
0.19m
−5
¿ 22.9 ×10 J /min

Average rise in Temperature per unit time = 0.16 °C /min

Graphs:
For Copper:

Time vs Temperature for Copper

27.8
27.6
27.6
27.4 27.3
27.2
Temperature

27.2
27
27 26.9
26.8
26.8
26.6
26.4
26.2
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time

Copper Linear (Copper)

Linear (Copper) Linear (Copper)

For Steel:
 Time vs Temperature for Steel
27.8
27.6
27.6
27.4 27.3
27.2
Temperature

27.2
27
27 26.9
26.8
26.8
26.6
26.4
26.2
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time

Steel Linear (Steel)

Linear (Steel) Linear (Steel)

Result:
The heat transfer per unit time through copper is 56.3×10−5 J /min

The heat transfer per unit time through steel is −5

22.9 ×10 J /min

Discussion:
The experiment was performed to investigate the conduction of heat in
Copper and Steel and calculate the rate of energy transfer through the
metals.
We know the factors which affect the heat loss by conduction are
Material Thermal Conductivity K, Surface area A, Temperature difference
and the length L of the material So in this experiment we put on two
different types of materials (steel and copper) with similar surface area
and length to the test.
At first, we take 20ml of water in a small beaker and dip one end of the
metal into the water such a way that it doesn’t come into contact with the
digital thermometer. Then, we will heat the other end of the metal using
spirit burner and note down the temperature at regular time intervals up till
5 minutes. Then we repeat the same experiment for another material and
tabulate the data as shown in Table: -1. After computing the average rise in
temperature per unit time and measuring the radius and length of the
materials using Vernier caliper and meter rule respectively, we were able to
use the equation and the known thermal conductivity table to calculate the
heat transfer per unit time through each material.
The results we found show that copper is a much better conductor of heat
than steel. The heat transfer per unit time through copper is 2.48 °C /min
and through steel is 0.16°C /min This huge difference is because
copper has a greater thermal conductivity than steel (Copper-401 W/m
k, steel- 14 W/m k). Copper also has a greater number of free electrons
which are responsible for carrying the energy.

The graph of time against temperature for steel and copper shows an
interesting fact that the time taken for the temperature to rise by 1 is
approximately same for both materials.

Conclusion:
The experiment aims to provide insight into the thermal conductivity of
different metals and how this affects the rate of energy transfer through
them. The findings will be useful for understanding the properties of
different materials and their practical applications in various industries

Possible sources of error:

a) Thermal energy may be lost to surrounding.
b) Impurities in material may cause heat to flow non-uniformly.
c) Temperature errors due to surrounding materials and environments.
d) Heat flow not in the intended/assumed direction.

Answer of the following Question:

Q1. Define thermal heat conduction.
Answer:
Thermal heat conduction is the process of transfer of thermal energy
from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature
through a medium, such as a solid, liquid, or gas. In solids, thermal
energy is transferred through the vibration of atoms or molecules,
which causes adjacent atoms or molecules to also vibrate, leading to
the transfer of thermal energy.

Q2. Out of the two solid bodies’ steel and copper which one is a good heat
conductor? Why?
Answer:
Copper is a better heat conductor than steel. This is because copper has a
higher thermal conductivity, which means it can transfer heat more
efficiently than steel. Copper also has a lower specific heat capacity, which
means it can absorb and release heat more quickly than steel. Steel has a
lower thermal conductivity and a higher specific heat capacity, which
makes it less efficient at transferring heat.

Q3. From graph how one can say one metal is good heat absorber than
other?
Answer:
One can determine which metal is a better heat absorber than the
other by looking at the slope of their temperature vs. time graphs. The
steeper the slope of the graph, the faster the temperature of the metal
increases, indicating that it is a better heat absorber. Conversely, the
shallower the slope of the graph, the slower the temperature of the
metal increases, indicating that it is a poorer heat absorber.