ananya.agrawal95 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Hey guys,I have a physics design lab on factors that affect the cooling rate of water. I picked the concentration of salts in the water as my factor. I'm unable to find much on this, but my teacher reassured me its a proper factor. So how would purity affect a substance's rate of cooling? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiggsHunter Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 The addition of salts generally causes only a small reduction in the specific heat capacity compared with that of pure water. So to observe the difference in the cooling rate, especially at low concentrations, you will have to make the measurements of mass, temperature and time very accurately, and control the environment carefully. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ananya.agrawal95 Posted April 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanks a lot. So when you say there is a reduction in the specific heat capacity, you mean it will cool faster right? Sorry, this is my weakest link in physics :| Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmeena Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Well, it does not affect the cooling rate of water per se, but the cooling rate of ice...It lowers down the melting point of ice which takes ENERGY from the surroundings to transform into water which is causing the surroundings to become cool.Check this page out: http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/2130/cooling-a-six-pack-with-salt-water 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiggsHunter Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) Thanks a lot. So when you say there is a reduction in the specific heat capacity, you mean it will cool faster right? Sorry, this is my weakest link in physics :|Yes, because of its reduced specific heat capacity, a given mass of salt solution will cool a little more rapidly than the same mass of pure water under identical conditions.But then the idea is to investigate this by experiment, right?Well, it does not affect the cooling rate of water per se, but the cooling rate of ice...It lowers down the melting point of ice which takes ENERGY from the surroundings to transform into water which is causing the surroundings to become cool.Check this page out: http://cr4.globalspe...with-salt-waterThe addition of salt does of course lower the melting point of ice, but that is not the phenomenon that ananya.agrawal95 has been asked to investigate. Edited April 6, 2012 by HiggsHunter 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmeena Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I saw that later on. But I still stand behind the page I posted him to go onto. I think it has sth about what he asked though. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ananya.agrawal95 Posted April 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 Thanks a lot guys, my physics grade is safe 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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