3B Scientific Thermal Conductivity Equipment Kit User Manual

3B SCIENTIFIC® PHYSICS

U45055 Thermal Conductivity Equipment Kit

Instruction Sheet

8/03 ALF

®

Experiment set for the qualitative inquiry into the heat
conductivity of different materials.

1. Description, technical data

The Thermal Conductivity Equipment Kit consists of two
plates of nearly the same
Appearance. One made from aluminum with very high
thermal conductivity, the other made from rigid plastic
foam with a very low thermal conductivity.
Even at room temperature the material temperatures
seem different to the touch. In the experiment ice cubes
are placed on the plates. The ice cube on the seemingly
colder aluminum plate melts much more quickly (approx.
1-2 minutes), while there seems to be no melting at all of
the ice cube on the seemingly warmer plastic plate.
Two rubber rings placed on the plates prevent the ice
cubes from slipping off the plates.
Plate dimensions: 95 mm x 95 mm x 13 mm

1.1 Scope of delivery

1 Aluminum plate
1 Plastic plate
2 Rubber rings

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2

1

1 Plastic plate

2 Rubber ring

3 Ice cube

conductivities e.g. aluminium has a very high heat con­ductivity while plastic a very low one. At room tempera­ture the aluminium plate feels cold to the touch be­cause heat is very quickly conducted from your hand
into the aluminium. By contrast the plastic plate acts as
an insulator to heat so that heat is conducted very slowly.
This makes it feel comparatively warm.
The principle is accordingly when melting the ice cubes.
The heat necessary for melting is conducted much faster
by aluminum than by the foamed plastic.

3. Operation

• Hand the plate to your students with the question
which one is warmer and which one is colder.

• Raise the question on which plate an ice cube would
melt faster.

• Place both plates on a table and put the rubber
rings on top of them.

• Put an ice cube on each plate and observe the melt­ing process.

• Wipe the plates and measure the their tempera­tures to confirm that both plates have the same
temperature.

2. Operating principle

Despite the same temperature materials can feel differ­ently warm. The reason is they have different thermal

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