Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: styrofoam ...

Owen von Kugelgen wrote:

I would like to know the thermal conductivity (with proper units) of
the disposable styrofoam cups so commonly used to serve coffee. ...

Measure it. Fill a cup with 70 deg C water, close it with a styrofoam
cover whose thickness is the same as that of the cup, and collect data
on temperature versus time. Knowing the thickness, and the area
over which thermal energy is lost, you will be able to match your
data with the value of k.

To verify that losses by radiation are negligible compare k from data
between 70 and 60 C versus k from data between 50 and 40 C. You
will probably have nearly the same k.

Please share your data and the result.

Ludwik Kowalski