The water in the bowl is the same temperature throughout, but it feels different for each hand. This is because our sense of temperature depends on where our body has been. Thermometers are better at determining temperature, but even they must have time to come to equilibrium, and a thermometer with large mass may change the temperature of the object that it is measuring. When a hot object is put into contact with a colder object, the hot object will loose energy to the colder object. This transfer of energy is referred to as heat.
Different materials transfer heat in different ways depending on their physical properties.
In addition, the mass and temperature of the substance affect the transfer of heat. This transfer of heat is measured using a calorimeter. In this lab, a calorimeter will be constructed from a Styrofoam cup inside a beaker with the temperature probe used to measure and record the temperature. In this experiment, the student will practice using a calorimeter he or she constructs to measure heat transfer. To print out the Student Copy only, click here .