This week's assignment was to select several different items to use as heat insulators. I chose newspaper, cotton cloth, nylon, and aluminum foil. I placed 140 degree water in four ceramic coffee mugs. I then placed an insulator on each of the mugs. After thirty minutes was up, I took off the insulators and measured the temperature of each mug. Mug 1, with the cotton cloth was 112 degrees. Mug 2, with the nylon pantyhose was 104 degrees. Mug 3, with the newspaper was 110 degrees. And mug 4 with the aluminum foil was 112 degrees.
I was pretty surprised at my results. I really wasn't expecting the mug with the aluminum foil to be so warm because aluminum is such a good heat conductor. If I were to do this experiment again, I think I would choose plastic wrap, some type of foam, and I would like to use rubber as well.
