Does Lagging Affect the Proportional Relationship in Cooling Rate Experiments?

[ProPM]

Hi

Tomorrow I will be performing an experiment trying to prove that the Rate of cooling of water is directly proportional to the excess temperature^5/4

I am going to be recording the change in temperature over time using a data logger and record the temperature of the room simultaneously.

I understand the relationship between the excess temperature and the rate of cooling, but, I can't see how, according to my teacher, when I perform the same experiment but lagging the water beaker, I will still get the same proportion...

Is it because the rate of cooling will be decreased but for it to reach a certain temperature it will take longer?

Thanks

 

[jbsteele]

for your help!Yes, that's exactly it! The rate of cooling would be decreased because of the lagging effect, but the relationship between the excess temperature and the rate of cooling should still hold true. As the temperature difference between the water and the room increases, the rate of cooling should increase in proportion. Since the amount of time it takes for the water to cool down will be increased due to the lagging effect, you may see a decrease in the rate of cooling, but the relationship between the two should still remain the same.