Question

Put a ceramic mug and a metal pot or dish in the freezer and wait for a half hour...

Now get the shower going as hot as it will go; really steam up the bathroom. Keep the fan off and the bathroom door closed. After the bathroom is good and steamy take the cold items from your freezer into the bathroom. What do you observe in terms of condensation? How does the condensation on the ceramic mug compare with the condensation on the metal pot?

Now try it with the ceramic mug and metal pot starting at room temperature.

Now try it with the ceramic mug and metal pot after they have been heated up in the oven at 300 degrees for a half hour.

I just need to know what *should* happen in an experiment like this. Thank you (:

Answer 1

Suppose after decreasing the temperature of ceramic and metal, we put them in steamy bathroom. Due to temperature difference heat flows from surrounding air moisture to ceramic/metal. As a result, condensation takes place. Metals generally have higher thermal conductivity as compared to ceramics. Due to higher thermal conductivity, more heat transfer takes place from surrounding to metals as compared to ceramics. As a result more water droplets appear at the surface of the metals.

Same phenomena occur when both ceramic and metals are placed in room temperature first. But in this case rate of condensation decreases as the temperature difference is less than that of previous arrangement.

In the last one, when both are heated at 300° in oven. After placing them in steamy bathroom. We will come to know that temperature of both materials are higher than the bathroom air moisture. In this case heat transfer will take place from ceramic/metal to the surrounding air and hence no condensation takes place.