Mix It Up - Mixing Liquids of Different Temperatures
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
Suppose that a hot liquid and a cold liquid are mixed together and you would like to predict the temperature of the mixture. To do this, we need to know the temperatures of the liquids before they are mixed, T1 and T2, and the volumes of each used in the mixture, V1 and V2.
Translated into mathematical symbols, we have
In this activity you will use the concepts described above to predict the resulting temperature when two solutions of different temperatures are mixed. The data needed to perform these calculations will be collected using a pair of Temperature Probes.
Objectives
- Record temperatures of water samples before and after mixing.
- Compare the mixing temperatures to a linear prediction.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Real-World Math with Computers »
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.