answersLogoWhite

0

Newton's Law of Cooling covers your question. This law states that the rate of cooling of a body (ie a quantity of something) is proportional to the difference of temperature between the body and the ambient.

So in the case say of a flask of hot water, surrounded by air, the rate of cooling is proportional to the difference between the water temperature and the air temperature. This obviously means that when the water is very hot, it cools much faster than when it is only slightly warm. In fact if you measure the water temperature at regular intervals, say every minute, and plot on a graph against time, you will get a curve which gradually approaches the air temperature.

If your maths is good enough you can work out the equation of temperature against time, and in fact it is what is called an exponential decay. you will need to understand calculus though to be able to prove this.

User Avatar

Wiki User

17y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Is ice water with salt warmer or colder than plain ice water?

it is warmer


Do water fleas reproduce better in warmer or colder temperatures?

colder because when they get hot they burn


Is warmer or colder water a better conductor of electricity?

warm


When a cup is sweating is the water colder or warmer than the outside?

A sweating cup is colder than the air which surrounds it.


Do trout need to live in colder or warmer water than catfish?

Catfishtypicallyare capable of thriving in much warmer water than trout.


Is water or dishwashing detergent or milk warmer?

None is necessarily warmer than the others. No substance is inherently warmer or colder than another.


What happens when warm water mixes with cold water?

Some of the water will get a little warmer, and some will get colder.


What is the term for colder water will sink while warmer water rises?

The term for colder water sinking while warmer water rises is called thermal stratification. This phenomenon occurs in bodies of water where layers of different temperatures form due to variations in water density.


Does the temperature of water rise when ice is melting in it?

The ice gets warmer, but the water gets colder.


What is the boundary between the warmer surface water and colder ocean water called?

Thermal Layer


If a test tube is full of water at 20 digrese in time would the water continue to get colder?

The future temperature of the water depends upon the surrounding air's temperature. So if the air around the test tube is colder than 20 degrees, then the water will get colder. If the air temperature is warmer than 20 degrees then the water will get warmer.


Does warmer water rise or fall in cold water?

Warmer water rises in colder water. When heated, water expands and becomes less dense, causing it to rise and displace the colder, denser water. This movement of warm water rising and cold water sinking forms a process known as convection.