Hot coffee anyone?

Hot coffee anyone?

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
This task is about interpreting data.

Sua wanted to find out if coffee stayed warmest for longer in a polystyrene cup, a paper cup, or a pottery mug.

She found three cups the same size and shape and put 150 mL coffee at 70°C into each. She left them side by side on a table, and recorded the temperature of each cup every two minutes. Here are her results: 

  Temperature of coffee (°C)
Time
(minutes)		 Polystyrene
cup		 Paper
cup		 Pottery
mug
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18		 70
58
48
40
32
26
20
20
20
20		 70
54
42
30
20
20
20
20
20
20		 70
60
52
45
40
36
31
27
24
20

Question 2Change answer

a)  Which container had the hottest coffee after six minutes? polystyrene cuppaper cuppottery mug

Question 2Change answer

b)  What was the temperature in the polystyrene cup after eight minutes?   º C

Question 2Change answer

c)  Which container of coffee cooled the quickest? polystyrene cuppaper cuppottery mug

Question 2Change answer

d)  How long did it take for the coffee in the polystyrene cup to cool to room temperature?   minutes

Question Change answer

 e)  Sort the materials: polystyrene, paper, and pottery, from best insulator to worst insulator.
  • polystyrene
  • paper
  • pottery
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Physical World
Keywords: 
physical inquiry, energy, heat, insulation, table interpretation
Description of task: 
Students answer five questions interpreting data on temperature decrease in three different types of cups.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss interpreting data from a table. 
 
Science capabilities: 
Interpret representations
Making Better Sense: 
Insulation
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (11/1996)
a) pottery mup very easy
b) 32°C very easy
c) paper cup very easy
d) 12 minutes moderate
e)
Best
 
Worst		 -
-
-		 pottery
polystyrene
paper
very easy
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error Likely misconception
b)  20, 40 Read column for paper or pottery cup instead of polystyrene

d)

 18

Read last row of table (instead of first occurrence of 20 at 12 minutes)