Question

A thermometer having first-order dynamics with a time constant of 1 min is placed in a temperature bath at 100oF. After the thermometer reaches steady state, it is suddenly placed in a bath at 110oF at t = 0 and left there for 1 min, after which it is immediately returned to the bath at 100oF.(a) Plot the variation of the thermometer reading with time (No hand-sketched plot please).(b) Calculate the thermometer reading at t = 0.5 min and at t = 2.0 min.

Answer 1

Answer:

(a) See below

(b) 103.935 °F; 102.235 °F

Explanation:

The equation relating the temperature to time is

$T = T_{0} + \Delta T\left (1 - e^{-t/\tau} \right )$

1. Calculate the thermometer readings after  0.5 min and 1 min

(a) After 0.5 min

$\begin{array}{rcl}T & = & T_{0} + \Delta T\left (1 - e^{-t/\tau} \right )\\ & = & 100 + 10\left (1 - e^{-0.5/1} \right )\\ & = & 100 + 10\left (1 - e^{-0.5} \right )\\ & = & 100 + 10 (1 - 0.6065)\\ & = & 100 + 10(0.3935)\\ & = & 100 + 3.935\\ & = & 103.935\,^{\circ}F\\\end{array}$

(b) After 1 min

$\begin{array}{rcl}T & = & T_{0} + \Delta T\left (1 - e^{-t/\tau} \right )\\ & = & 100 + 10\left (1 - e^{-1/1} \right )\\ & = & 100 + 10\left (1 - e^{-1} \right )\\ & = & 100 + 10 (1 - 0.3679)\\ & = & 100 + 10(0.6321)\\ & = & 100 + 6.321\\ & = & 106.321\,^{\circ}F\\\end{array}$

2. Calculate the thermometer reading after 2.0 min

T₀ =106.321 °F

ΔT = 100 - 106.321 °F = -6.321 °F

  t = t - 1, because the cooling starts 1 min late

$\begin{array}{rcl}T & = & T_{0} + \Delta T\left (1 - e^{-(t - 1)/\tau} \right )\\ & = & 106.321 - 6.321\left (1 - e^{-(2 - 1)/1} \right )\\ & = & 106.321 - 6.321\left (1 - e^{-1} \right )\\ & = & 106.321 - 6.321 (1 - 0.3679)\\ & = & 106.321 - 6.321 (0.6321)\\ & = & 106.321 - 3.996\\ & = & 102.325\,^{\circ}F\\\end{array}$

3. Plot the temperature readings as a function of time.

The graphs are shown below.