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INSTRUMEN TTCI
HEAT TRANSFER

1. The diagram shows a temperature profile through an insulated wall. Which of the following
assumptions would need to be true for the system to be at steady state? *This question is
required.

a. The temperature change across the wall would need to be equal to the temperature change
across the insulation
b. The heat transfer rate would be zero at any point
c. The heat transfer rate at any point would not change with time
d. The interior temperature would need to equal the exterior temperature

2. You want to reduce the temperature of water in an insulated container by immersing either a 100
gram cold copper bar or 100 grams of very small cold copper particles. The water is initially at
40OC and the metal bar and particles have been stored in a kitchen freezer at 0OC.
Which form of metal (bar or particles) will give a lower final water temperature? *This
question is required.

a. Metal particles because they have a higher heat transfer coefficient and will transfer energy
faster
b. Metal particles because they have more surface area and will cool the water faster
c. Metal bar because more energy is stored in the bar than particles
d. Either form of metal will lower the water temperature the same amount because energy
transfer is proportional to the mass of metal used
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3. On a very cold winter day, a group of engineering students notices that quickly licking the metal
end of an ice scraper left outside overnight caused their tongues to freeze to the metal surface.
However, a quick lick of the plastic handle of the scraper didn't cause any freezing to occur.
How can you explain this observation? *This question is required.

a. Metal is colder than plastic because metal is more dense and therefore retains cold better
b. Metal is colder than plastic because plastic stores energy better
c. Metal conducts energy better than plastic, so energy moves away from the tongue faster when
touching metal
d. Metal is colder than plastic because it transfers energy to the atmosphere faster

4. Two solid copper cylinders, each at 75oC, are allowed to cool in a room where the air temperature
is 25oC. As shown, cylinder 1 is taller than cylinder 2 but both cylinders are the same diameter.
The top and bottom of each cylinder are perfectly insulated so the only heat loss is through the
sides of the cylinders.

*This question is required.

For which cylinder has more energy transferred to the surroundings when the temperature
of each cylinder is 40oC? Why?

a. Cylinder 1 because it contains more mass and therefore more stored energy
b. Cylinder 2 because it contains less mass and therefore will cool faster
c. Both cylinders lose the same amount of energy because they cool from the same initial
temperature to the same final temperature
d. Both cylinders lose the same amount of energy because the surface/volume ratio is the same
for each
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5. An engineering student walking barefoot (without shoes or socks) from a tile floor onto a
carpeted floor notices that the tile feels cooler than the carpet.

Which of the following explanations seems like the most plausible way to explain this
observation?

*This question is required.

a. The carpet has a slightly higher temperature because air trapped in the carpet retains energy
from the room better
b. The rate of heat transfer into the room by convection (air movement) is different for tile and
carpet surfaces
c. The tile conducts energy better than the carpet, so energy moves away from the students
foot faster on tile than carpet.
d. The carpet has more surface area in contact with the students foot than the tile does, so the
carpet is heated faster and feels hotter.
e. The carpet has a slightly higher temperature because air trapped in the carpet slows down
the rate of energy transfer through the carpet into the floor

6. Wind chill, a phenomenon felt on windy days, occurs because of increased heat transfer from
exposed human skin to the surrounding atmosphere. The wind chill temperature is the
temperature under wind-free conditions that would result in the same heat loss from exposed skin
as the actual temperature and wind conditions. An engineering student hears on television that
the air temperature outside her house is 35oF and the wind chill factor is 20oF because the wind
is blowing.

Should she be worried that her garden hose filled with water will freeze? *This question is
required.

a. Yes, because water in the hose will freeze at 20oF

b. Yes, because a difference between air temperature and chill factor of 15oF means water in
the hose will cool rapidly
c. No, because the water will not cool below the air temperature of 35oF
d. No, because water in the hose will cool slowly and not freeze overnight
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7. Consider a double-pane window in cross-section as seen in the diagram. If the window is in
thermal equilibrium with its surroundings, which of the following is true? *This question is
required.

a. There is a steady heat transfer rate across the exterior glass, interior glass and the air.
b. The exterior and interior glass are at the same temperature as the air.
c. The exterior and interior glass are at the same temperature, and the air is at a different
temperature.
d. The exterior and interior glass are at different temperatures, and there is no net heat transfer
across the air.

8. Some residential steam radiators operate as seen in the diagram where steam is released into a
heat exchanger and water is collected and removed from the unit. *This question is required.

If the system operates at steady state, what can we assume is true?

a. The rate of heat released into the room must be zero

b. The temperature of the steam must be greater than the temperature of the returning water
c. There is a constant rate of heat released through the condensation process
d. The temperature of the steam must be the same as the temperature of the returning water
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9. You have a glass of tea in a well-insulated cup that you would like to cool off before drinking.
You also have 2 ice cubes to use in the cooling process and have access to an ice crusher.

Assuming no energy is lost from the tea into the room and no ice is lost in the crushing process,
which form of ice (cubes or crushed ice) added to your tea will give a lower drink
temperature? *This question is required.

a. The ice cubes which have a higher heat capacity than crushed ice so will store more energy
from the tea
b. The crushed ice which will melt faster and will transfer energy from the tea faster
c. The crushed ice which has more surface area so energy transfer rate will be higher
d. Either will lower the drink temperature the same amount because energy transfer is
proportional to the mass of ice used

10. Engineering students are conducting a heat transfer experiment on a slab of metal that sits
vertically on a lab bench. The left surface of the slab undergoes a variety of heating conditions
resulting in the series of temperature profiles shown below. *This question is required.

Which diagram represents steady-state heat transfer through the slab?

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a. a because the linear profile indicates energy is transferred through the slab at a constant
rate
b. b because there is no energy transfer between the slab and the air
c. c because temperature does not change through the slab
d. none of the diagrams show steady-state conditions, because steady-state and thermal
equilibrium always occur together

11. You are in the business of melting ice at 0oC using hot blocks of metal as an energy source. One
option is to use one metal block at a temperature of 200oC and a second option is to use two metal
blocks each at a temperature of 100oC. All the metal blocks are made from the same material and
have the same weight and surface area.

If the blocks are placed in insulated cups filled with ice water at 0oC, which option will melt
more ice? *This question is required.

a. The 100oC blocks 2 blocks have twice as much surface area as 1 block so the energy transfer
rate will be higher when more blocks are used
b. The 100oC blocks multiple blocks have more mass and therefore more energy than a single
block
c. The 200oC block using a higher temperature block will melt the ice faster because the larger
temperature difference will increase the rate of energy transfer
d. The 200oC block higher temperature blocks contain more energy per mass of block than
lower temperature blocks
e. Either option will melt the same amount of ice energy transferred is proportional to the mass
of blocks used and the change in block temperature during the process

12. In a laboratory demonstration students notice that when a paper cup filled with water is placed
above a lit Bunsen burner, the paper cup will only burn after all of the water is boiled off. *This
question is required.
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Why doesnt the paper cup burn while the water is boiling?

a. The water acts as an insulator and reduces the heat transfer through the paper
b. Boiling off the water increases the heat transfer through the paper
c. Water has a higher heat capacity than paper
d. Due to vaporization effects, the boiling water cools the paper below 100 C

13. A sling psychrometer is an instrument used to measure the relative humidity in the atmosphere.
As the psychrometer device is spun in the air, a regular thermometer (or dry bulb) reads one
temperature and a thermometer with a piece of wet fabric attached to it (or wet bulb) reads
another temperature. *This question is required.

Depending upon the humidity in the air, the dry and wet bulbs can read different temperatures. How
can this phenomenon be explained?

Because water has a high heat capacity, the wet bulb traps the energy that would otherwise
transfer to the atmosphere
The evaporation of water from the wet bulb increases the rate of energy transfer between the
wet bulb and the environment
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The evaporation of water from the wet bulb and into the atmosphere lowers the temperature
of the surrounding atmosphere
The wet bulb has a greater surface area than the dry bulb for energy transfer

14. Two copper cylinders, each at 750C, are allowed to cool in a room where the air temperature is
250C. As shown, cylinder 1 is taller than cylinder 2 but both cylinders are the same diameter. The
top and bottom of each cylinder are perfectly insulated so the only heat loss is through the sides of
the cylinders. *This question is required.

Which of the following graphs would most closely approximate the average temperature of the
two cylinders?

a. Graph A cylinder 2 contains less mass and less stored energy so will cool faster
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b. Graph B cylinder 1 has more heat transfer area in contact with the atmosphere and therefore
will cool faster
c. Graph C cylinder 2 contains less mass and less stored energy so will cool faster
d. Graph D both cylinders will cool at the same rate since each has the same surface
area/volume ratio

15. In addition to acting as an antiseptic, rubbing alcohol wipes can be used to soothe injuries because
of their cooling effect on the skin.

Why does rubbing alcohol feel cooler on your skin than water? *This question is required.

a. Rubbing alcohol evaporates more quickly from your skin and results in faster heat transfer
loss away from your skin
b. Rubbing alcohol evaporates more quickly from your skin and lowers the air temperature
around your skin more
c. Rubbing alcohol has a higher heat capacity and pulls more heat away from your skin
d. Rubbing alcohol is usually colder than water and your skin feels the temperature difference

16. Two metal blocks of equal size and mass are initially at room temperature (~20 oC) and are then
placed in a furnace operating at 200oC. Block 1 reaches a uniform temperature of 200oC in 5
minutes while block 2 takes 10 minutes to reach 200oC.

To which block was more energy transferred during the heating process?

*This question is required.

a. Block 2 because it is heated longer

b. Block 1 because it heats up faster (temperature rises faster)
c. Both blocks received the same amount of energy because they started at the same initial
temperature and ended at the same final temperature
d. Cant determine from the information given because heat capacities of the metals used to
make the blocks are needed
e. Cant determine from the information given because heat transfer coefficients from the block
surfaces are needed
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17. Water flows steadily through a heated pipe at temperature Twall in which the hot pipe wall raises
the water temperature from an average inlet temperature of T1. The average water temperature
increases as a function of length down the pipe. *This question is required.

Assuming the water temperature never reaches the pipe wall temperature, under what
conditions can this system come to steady-state?

a. Steady-state occurs when the average water temperature at any distance down the pipe does
not change with time
b. Steady-state only occurs when the water and pipe come to thermal equilibrium
c. The system can never come to steady-state since the water is always cooler than the pipe wall
d. Steady-state only occurs when the heat transfer rate into the water is zero

18. Engineering students are observing a demonstration in which cubes of ice are placed on flat plates
made of aluminum and plastic that have been located in a classroom for several hours. A student
touches each plate and notes that the aluminum plate feels cold while the plastic plate feels
warmer. When an ice cube is placed on each plate, the aluminum quickly melts the ice, while the
ice cube on the plastic hardly melts at all.

How can you explain this result? *This question is required.

a. Aluminum feels cooler because it transfers energy from a finger faster and therefore transfers
energy into the ice faster
b. Aluminum feels cooler because it is at a lower temperature and ice melts faster at a
temperature closer to the phase change temperature
c. Ice makes better contact for heat transfer with aluminum rather than plastic
d. Plastic is at a lower temperature than aluminum although it feels warmer
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19. You can place your hand into a hot pizza oven for several seconds without harm, whereas youd
never be able to touch the metal inside surface for even a second. Why? *This question is
required.

a. Air in the oven is actually cooler than the oven metal because it has a lower heat capacity
b. Metal has a higher heat capacity so transfers energy more readily
c. Metal is warmer than air because energy must be transferred from the metal to keep the oven
temperature constant
d. Air is a poor heat conductor while metal is a good heat conductor

20. You have a glass of ice tea in a well-insulated cup that you would like to cool before drinking.
You also have 2 ice cubes to use in the cooling process and have access to an ice crusher.
Assuming no energy is lost from the tea into the room and no ice is lost in the crushing process,
which form of ice (cubes or crushed ice) added to your tea will cool the tea faster? *This
question is required.

a. Crushed ice more surface area will transfer energy at a higher rate
b. Ice cubes since they have more energy, the energy transfer rate will be higher
c. Ice cubes cubes have a higher heat capacity than crushed ice so they can absorb energy faster
d. Either since energy transfer is proportional to the mass of ice used, crushed ice or cubes will
cool the drink temperature at the same rate

21. Two identical closed beakers contain equal masses of liquid at a temperature of 20 0C as shown
below. One beaker is filled with water and the other beaker is filled with ethanol (ethyl alcohol).
The temperature of each liquid is increased from 200C to 400C using identical heaters immersed
in the liquids. Each heater is set to the same power setting.
It takes 2 minutes for the ethanol temperature to reach 400C and 3 minutes for the water
temperature to reach 400C. *This question is required.
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Ignoring evaporation losses, to which liquid was more energy transferred during the
heating process?

a. Ethanol because it heats up faster (temperature rises faster)

b. Water because it is heated longer
c. Both liquids received the same amount of energy because they started at the same initial
temperature and ended at the same final temperature
d. Cant determine from the information given because heat capacities of water and ethanol are
needed

22. The wind chill temperature is the temperature under wind-free conditions that would result in the
same heat loss from exposed skin as the current temperature and wind conditions. This wind
chill effect can occur when moisture is present on an object's exposed surface, for instance, when
humans have uncovered skin on a windy day.

Why does the wind chill effect occur in this situation? *This question is required.

Because moisture evaporates from the skin into the surrounding air, lowering the atmospheric
temperature
Because of surface area having lots of exposed skin means there is a bigger surface area that
is exposed to the atmospheric temperature
Because skin has high heat capacity, so the energy generated by the body escapes when wind
passes over exposed skin
Because skin moisture evaporates, increasing the rate of energy transfer from skin to the
surrounding air
Because humans feel the wind on their skin, creating a false sensation of coldness

23. Engineering students are conducting a heat transfer experiment on a slab of metal that sits
vertically on a lab bench. The left surface of the slab undergoes a variety of heating conditions
resulting in the series of temperature profiles shown below. *This question is required.
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Which diagram represents thermal equilibrium between the slab and air?

a. a because the linear profile indicates energy is transferred through the slab at a constant
rate
b. b because the slab and air are at the same temperature
c. c because temperature does not change through the slab
d. none of the diagrams show thermal equilibrium conditions, because steady-state and thermal
equilibrium always occur together

24. Heat index is a measure of the atmospheric temperature and humidity. Given a constant
temperature, a day with a high heat index temperature means that there is higher humidity than
a day with a low heat index temperature.

Compared to a day with a low heat index, why does a person feel hotter on a day with a
high heat index? *This question is required.

a. Sweat cannot evaporate as quickly, increasing heat transfer off the skin.
b. A person will feel more uncomfortable because they can feel the water in the air, but it will
not actually affect the person's body temperature.
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c. The person's body will generate more heat, making the person feel hotter.
d. Sweat cannot evaporate as quickly, reducing heat transfer off the skin.