Experimental DesignRichard Soucy

Problem Question

How does the size of the container effect the temperature of ice for a period of time?

Hypothesis

If I increase the size of the box, then the temperature of ice will increase because there will be more air for convection to occur (the process in which fluids [i.e. water, air] are heated).

Variables

Independent Variable: Size of box

Dependent Variable: Temperature of ice

Experimental Groups

3 6” x 6” x 6” containers

3 12” x 9” x 5” containers

Baseline Data (4” x 37/8” x 43/

8”)

Constants

Type of materials needed to make boxes

Ratio of materials needed to make boxes

Length of time

Ice tray

Thermometer

Materials

6 Biodegradable containers with previously mentioned dimensions

Paper towels

2 Thermometers

24 cubes of Ice

Data Table

Procedure

1. Place 4 ice cubes into container

2. Place thermometer in container with bulb inside

3. Record start temperature after 2 minutes

4. Record temperatures every hour for 4 hours

5. Repeat steps 1-6 for 2 more trials

6. Repeat steps 1-7 for the second dimension

Data Collection Table

The Effect of the Size of Container to the Temperature of Ice After a Period of Time (°C)

Dimension Trial Start 1 hr 2 hr 3 hr 4 hr

6” x 6” x 6”

Trial 1 -2 9 3 6 5

Trial 2 3 5 7 6 7

Trial 3 3 5 0 3 11

Mean 1.33 6.33 3.33 5 7.67

6” x 4” x 4”

Trial 1 -1 11 -1 5 2.5

Trial 2 -2 0 3 11 0

Trial 3 -3 3.5 4 8 8

Mean -2 4.83 2 8 3.5

Results

0 1 2 3 4-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

What is the effect of the size of a container to the temperature of ice?

Experimental Design

6"x6"x6" Trial 16"x6"x6" Trial 26"x6"x6" Trial 36"x6"x6" Mean4"x6"x6" Trial 14"x6"x6" Trial 24"x6"x6" Trial 34"x6"x6" Mean

Amount of time ice was in (Hours)

Te

mp

era

ture

(°C

)

Written Results

The 6” x 6” x 6” boxes had the highest temperature. The average temperature at the start was 1.33°C, at the first hour it was 6.33°C, at the second hour it was 3.33°C, at the third hour it was 5°C, and at the last hour it was 7.67°C. The difference was 6.34°C. The trend was going up.

The 4” x 6” x 6” boxes had the lowest temperature. The average temperature at the start was -2°C, at the first hour it was 4.83°C, at the second hour it was 2°C, at the third hour it was 8°C, and at the last hour it was 3.5°C. The difference was 5.5°C. The trend was going up.

ConclusionThe problem question was, “How does the size of the container effect the

temperature of ice for a period of time?” The hypothesis was if the size of the box increases, then the temperature of ice will increase because there will be more air for convection to occur. My hypothesis was supported by this experiment because the larger the box, the higher the mean temperature was. Some uncontrolled variables were the room temperature, the day, and the kind of glue. I was using Elmer's Wood Glue and they changed the formula right when I ran out of glue. These variables could be removed if the thermostat was continuously set to the same temperature the entire day(s), if one had more thermometers so one could do all of them at the same time, and if one had a larger glue supply. This could be useful in the real world if one wanted to keep something cold (or hot, for that matter) in the opposite temperature (warm in cold, cold in hot). Some companies such as Coleman might want this information when they make their coolers. People who want everything biodegradable could use this, too. I could do this differently in the future by changing the kind of cardboard or the brand of glue. I could also change the amount of packing peanuts.