Thermal Conductivity of Water
Most recent answer: 06/08/2016
Q:
Cooling in water is faster than cooling in air. This is due to larger specific heat of water or larger heat transfer coefficient. Which one is the predominant factor?
- Shivanathan (age 21)
Kanniakumari
- Shivanathan (age 21)
Kanniakumari
A:
You can write the thermal conductivity as the product of two factors: the heat capacity per volume and the thermal diffusion coefficient. Water has a much higher thermal conductivity than air precisely because it has much more heat capacity per volume.
Mike W.
(published on 06/08/2016)