Which will boil faster: steel ball in container or just water?

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around two cases comparing the boiling rates of water in a container with a steel ball submerged versus a container with only water. Participants explore the implications of thermal equilibrium in both scenarios, considering factors like energy requirements and heat transfer mechanisms.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the energy requirements for boiling in the presence of a steel ball and question how the ball's thermal conductivity might affect the boiling process. They also raise concerns about the definitions of thermal equilibrium and the system's parameters, such as the relative masses of the ball and water.

Discussion Status

Some participants express agreement on certain points regarding the first case, while others seek clarification on the second case's assumptions and parameters. Multiple interpretations of thermal equilibrium and heat transfer mechanisms are being explored, indicating a productive dialogue without a clear consensus.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the exercise originated from a BARC interview question, and there is a mention of neglecting radiation in the context of heat transfer considerations.

Ravi Singh choudhary
Messages
123
Reaction score
7

Homework Statement


upload_2016-6-1_20-0-36.png

Case 1: Which will boiling faster the container having steel ball dipped in it or container having only water?

Case 2: Which one will attain thermal equilibrium faster? Consider balls are just in middle of the container.

every condition of each the cases have same volume of water

Homework Equations


Q=mc*dT

The Attempt at a Solution


It is different than boiling stone; As we are heating simultaneously water and the steel ball.
In 1st case; as volume of water is same that means container with steel ball would require extra energy that means it will boil late.
In 2nd case; we could apply transient head transfer but how could we compare "h" for both the cases.
 

Attachments

  • upload_2016-6-1_19-56-10.png
    upload_2016-6-1_19-56-10.png
    34.1 KB · Views: 567
Physics news on Phys.org
Ravi Singh choudhary said:
In 1st case; as volume of water is same that means container with steel ball would require extra energy that means it will boil late
On the other hand, conductivity of the contents will effectively improve, perhaps offsetting the little bit of extra heat required ?
For case 2 it isn't clear to me what the system under consideration is and what thermal equilibrium would mean here. The whole lot at 20 C ?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: CWatters
I agree with your answer for case 1.

For case 2 you aren't given the relative masses of the ball and water so you can't calculate the final temperature or estimate the heat that has to flow into or out of the ball. Perhaps consider what happens if the ball is the size of a grain of sand? Or the water just one droplet?
 
BvU said:
For case 2 it isn't clear to me what the system under consideration is and what thermal equilibrium would mean here. The whole lot at 20 C ?
Thermal equilibrium means; heat transfer will stop between ball and water. Equilibrium temperature would be something between 100 c to 30c
 
Last edited:
BvU said:
On the other hand, conductivity of the contents will effectively improve, perhaps offsetting the little bit of extra heat required ?

Bulk temperature need to attained faster. What is the role of conductivity of ball here?
 
CWatters said:
I agree with your answer for case 1.

For case 2 you aren't given the relative masses of the ball and water so you can't calculate the final temperature or estimate the heat that has to flow into or out of the ball. Perhaps consider what happens if the ball is the size of a grain of sand? Or the water just one droplet?

I am pretty much sure that heat capacity (m*c) of ball is low. Water's mass is much more than the ball.
 
Ravi Singh choudhary said:
Bulk temperature need to attained faster. What is the role of conductivity of ball here?
Depending on how the heat is brought to the contents, it has to be transported (or not -- like in microwave oven) by conduction and/or convection.
 
Ravi Singh choudhary said:
Thermal equilibrium means; heat transfer will stop between ball and water. Equilibrium temperature would be something between 100 c to 30c
Like very close to 30 in one case and very close to 100 in the other ? And all transport mechanisms for heat are to be considered ?
What is the context of this exercise? Where does it come from ?

So many questions...
 
BvU said:
Like very close to 30 in one case and very close to 100 in the other ? And all transport mechanisms for heat are to be considered ?
What is the context of this exercise? Where does it come from ?

So many questions...
Yeah you got it right
You can neglect radiation
It was just asked in BARC interview
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
4K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
4K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
4K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
23K
Replies
49
Views
4K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K