Cooling Time of Water: Vol, Temp & Details

  • Thread starter Thread starter Razzor7
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Cooling Water
AI Thread Summary
To determine the cooling time of water from an initial to a final temperature, the volume of water is crucial, as it relates to the specific heat capacity. Additional factors include the surface area for heat dissipation, whether the container is open or closed, its insulation properties, ambient temperature, and humidity levels. Newton's law of cooling can be applied, requiring experimental data to establish a heat transfer coefficient. Measuring temperature drops over time can provide data points to create a curve for more accurate predictions. Ultimately, using experimental data is essential for calculating cooling times effectively.
Razzor7
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
I would like to determine how long it would take a volume of water to cool from an initial temperature to a final temperature in a given ambient temperature. I don't know the volume, is this information important? If so, is there any way to come up with the time it would take as a function of the volume? Are there any other important details we need?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Razzor7 said:
I don't know the volume, is this information important?

Yes, it has to do with the specific heat capacity of water.

Another info you will need is the area through which the heat dissipates.

You need to use Newtons law of cooling after that...with a bit of integration.
 
Razzor7 said:
Are there any other important details we need?
The shape of the container - cooling happens only on the surface of the water.
If it is open or closed
The insulation value of the container
The temperature of the room
The humidity if the water is warm enough that evaporation is going to matter.

The easy way is to measure the temperature drop in the 1st minute, 2nd minute etc for a few data points and plot a curve and then estimate where it crosses the final temperature you want.
 
mgb_phys said:
The shape of the container - cooling happens only on the surface of the water.
If it is open or closed
The insulation value of the container
The temperature of the room
The humidity if the water is warm enough that evaporation is going to matter.

The easy way is to measure the temperature drop in the 1st minute, 2nd minute etc for a few data points and plot a curve and then estimate where it crosses the final temperature you want.
It is extrordinarily difficult (virtually impossible) to predict in advanced the heat transfer performance of a vessel, from scratch. Almost all real problems like this are solved via that second method: using experimental data as a baseline at least to give you the heat transfer coefficient. That curve, though, is Newton's law of cooling, so once you have a couple of data points, you aren't estimating anymore, you have all the information to plug into the equation and calculate the answer.
 
Sorry should have said extrapolate not estimate
 

Thread '1:1 versus 2:1 Mechanical Advantage debate'

The rope is tied into the person (the load of 200 pounds) and the rope goes up from the person to a fixed pulley and back down to his hands. He hauls the rope to suspend himself in the air. What is the mechanical advantage of the system? The person will indeed only have to lift half of his body weight (roughly 100 pounds) because he now lessened the load by that same amount. This APPEARS to be a 2:1 because he can hold himself with half the force, but my question is: is that mechanical...
View full post »

Thread 'Average velocity as a weighted mean'

Hello everyone, Consider the problem in which a car is told to travel at 30 km/h for L kilometers and then at 60 km/h for another L kilometers. Next, you are asked to determine the average speed. My question is: although we know that the average speed in this case is the harmonic mean of the two speeds, is it also possible to state that the average speed over this 2L-kilometer stretch can be obtained as a weighted average of the two speeds? Best regards, DaTario
View full post »

Thread 'Newton's first law?'

Some physics textbook writer told me that Newton's first law applies only on bodies that feel no interactions at all. He said that if a body is on rest or moves in constant velocity, there is no external force acting on it. But I have heard another form of the law that says the net force acting on a body must be zero. This means there is interactions involved after all. So which one is correct?
View full post »

Similar threads

Effect of ambient pressure on Newton cooling (water)
Replies
2
Views
1K
Cooling of vegetables with water
Replies
3
Views
1K
Time for Hot Water to Cool -- Calculation....
Replies
4
Views
3K
Rate of water cooling through copper pipe?
Replies
1
Views
3K
I Time for a cold volume of air to reach a higher air temperature
Replies
11
Views
3K
Time to Equilibrate 0C Copper & 75C Water
Replies
15
Views
2K
A decent k value for Newton's law of cooling for water?
Replies
6
Views
22K
Surface Tension - Using hot soapy water to wash clothes
Replies
1
Views
2K
Cooling a pond with river water?
Replies
3
Views
2K
Why does water evaporate when it's less than 212 F outside?
Replies
20
Views
34K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top