Question:

Have you heard about the lady who sued McDonalds when she spilt coffee on herself and was
badly scalded? How hot should a hot drink be when you buy it?

Intro:
Research
Find answers to these questions:
What temperature is considered scalding (hot enough to burn flesh)
180 degrees will cause a full thickness burn to the human skin in two to seven seconds.
At what temperature is it safe enough to take the first sip of your hot drink?
130 degrees which is drinkably warm.
After your hot drink is poured, how much time would you be willing to wait before taking
your first sip?
Since I do not like hot drinks, I usually dont drink them or wait until it becomes cool.

Part A:
What kind of mathematical model best represents the relationship between time and
temperature? Is the function linear, absolute value, quadratic, square root , exponential or
logarithmic?
Square Root

Collect data from the video! You must collect at least ten data points.
Graph the data and decide what type of parent function would best fit the data. Explain your
reasoning.
Trials Time (min:sec) (x value) Temperature () (y value)
1 0 200
2 03:04 180
3 06:08 165
4 09:02 158
5 12:06 150
6 15:03 141
7 18:07 137
8 21:03 132
9 24:00 129
10 27:04 124
(line is linear)
In the data, temperature did not decrease in the same amount for every 3 minutes. As more time
passed, the temperature decreased more slowly. So it cannot be represented by a linear function.
Also as it can be seen in the graph, the data points does not fit the linear line. Instead there seems to
be a slight downward curve if you connect the data points. I think a square root function would fit
the data.

Now use your knowledge of transformations to find a function that would fit the data. Graph
it and comment on its accuracy.
Exponential Function:


Logarithmic Function:


Would any other functions be a better model? How do you know?
A quadratic function whose parent function that has a curve could also fit the data points.

Part B: Using your TI
Enter the data onto your TI and find the best possible regression curve for your data.
How could you compare different graphs and decide which one is the best fit?
Quadratic Regression: y=0.0904095259x^2+(-5.028363747)x+196.3897702
Out of the 9 points, 7 points met with the quadratic regression.

Cubic Regression: y=(-o.oo39553001)x^3+0.2508128093x^2+(-6.674318299)x+199.096597

Part C: Conclusion
Use the graphs and data you have collected to find answers to the following questions. Justify
your answers.
What temperature is considered scalding (hot enough to burn flesh)
Any temperature around or over 180 degrees is considered scalding because it takes around
3 minutes to get cooler. So before it gets the chance to cool down, the skin will be burned.
At what temperature is it safe enough to take the first sip of your hot drink?
130 degrees is relatively safe to drink.
After your hot drink is poured, how much time would you be willing to wait before taking
your first sip?
Since take-out drinks are usually around 170 degrees, I will wait around 20 minutes for it to
cool down. For home-made drink that are usually around 140 degrees, I will wait 10 minutes.

How would you change your model to take into account the following:
Change in environment
Hot drinks in cooler temperatures tend to cool down easily. Also when it is poured
into a cup with a large opening, it makes it easier to cool down. So I would take into account
the environments temperature and the container being used.
An espresso coffee from an espresso machine
Espresso machine makes coffee with water of 200 fahrenheit and pressure in a short period
of time so it is very hot. They say an espresso coffee is best when it is hot, so and ideal
temperature that is hot but not scalding must be found.
Different types of coffee cups
Coffee spills usually happen with take-out coffees that are made of styrofoam or paper that
conserves the temperature. So take-out coffees are more likely to be more hot.
Choose one of these changes, and develop a new model.
Change in environment (when the coffee in a cup with a large opening is placed in a cool
environment)
Assume the new models temperature has been taken at the same time
Temperature decreases in larger amounts at first but slows down as time passes
Last temperature to be measured is less than the original model

Trials Time (min:sec) (x value) Temperature () (y value)
1 0 200
2 03:04 170
3 06:08 155
4 09:02 148
5 12:06 140
6 15:03 131
7 18:07 127
8 21:03 122
9 24:00 119
10 27:04 114

The new model has a bigger slope than the original one. A different regression curve might fit it.


Part D: How did you do?
We are looking at three main skills:
Investigating Patterns
Communicating Mathematically
Justifying your results
Use the criteria below to give yourself a rating and send it to me!


Level
Descriptors Evidence from your
work
investigating
patterns
7 8 The student selects and
applies mathematical problem-
solving techniques to recognize
patterns, describes them as
relationships or general rules,
draws the correct conclusions
consistent with the correct
findings, and provides
justifications or a proof.

5 6 The student selects and
applies mathematical problem-
solving techniques to recognize
patterns, describes them as
relationships or general rules,
and draws conclusions

consistent with findings.
3 4 The student applies
mathematical problem-solving
techniques to recognize
patterns, and suggests
relationships or general rules.

1 2 The student applies, with
some guidance, mathematical
problem-solving techniques to
recognize simple patterns.

0 The student does not reach a
standard described by any of
the descriptors given above.




Level
Descriptors Evidence from your work
communication
in mathematics
5 6 The student shows good use of
mathematical language and
forms of mathematical
representation. The lines of
reasoning are concise, logical
and complete. The student
moves effectively between
different forms of
representation.

3 4 The student shows sufficient
use of mathematical and forms
of mathematical
representation. The lines of
reasoning are clear though not
always logical or complete.
The student moves between
different forms of
representation with some
success.

1 2 The student shows basic use of
mathematical language and/or
forms of mathematical
representation. The lines of

reasoning are difficult to
follow.
0 The student does not reach a
standard described by any of
the descriptors given above.



Level
Descriptors Evidence from your work
reflection in
mathematics
5 6 The student critically explains
whether his or her results make
sense in the context of the
problem. The student provides
a detailed explanation of the
importance of his or her findings
in connection to real life where
appropriate. The student
justifies the degree of accuracy
of his or her results where
appropriate. The student
suggests improvements to his or
her method where appropriate

3 4 The student correctly but
briefly explains whether his or
her results make sense in the
context of the problem.
The student describes the
importance of his or her
findings in connection to real
life where appropriate. The
student attempts to justify the
degree of accuracy of his or her
results where appropriate.

1 2 The student attempts to explain
whether his or her results make
sense in the context of the
problem. The student attempts
to describe the importance of
his or her findings in connection
to real life where appropriate

0 The student does not reach a
standard described by any of the

descriptors given above.