Lesson 9-NC

Newtons Law of Cooling

Objectives
Use Newtons Law of Cooling to solve problems

Vocabulary
Initial condition allows the user to find the particular solution from a family of solutions

Equilibrium a steady state condition with neither growth nor decay

Temperature Change
An objects temperature over time will approach the temperature of its surroundings (the medium) The greater the difference between the objects temperature and the mediums temperature, the greater the rate of change of the objects temperature This change is a form of exponential decay
T0

Tm

CSI: Newtons Law of Cooling

The rate at which an object cools is proportional to the difference in temperature between the object and the surrounding medium:
dT ---- = k(T M) dt

Where T is temperature of the object, k is a proportionality constant, M is the temperature of the surrounding medium and t is time A coroner uses this to help determine the time of death and is seen in every Crime TV series from Dragnet to CSI.

Newtons Cooling Equation

Given
dT ---- = k(T M) dt

by changing the variable T to y(t) = T M we get the following equation

dy ---- = k(y) dt

a very familiar differential equation, whose solution is

y(t) = y0ekt

changing back to T, we get T(t) = Tm + (T0 Tm)ekt where k will always be negative (from decay)

dy 2 xy dx

Example
Example: A potato is taken out of a 300o F oven and left to cool in a room at 75o F. Write a differential equation expressing the change in rate of the temperature of the potato, T, with respect to time, t.
dT ---- = k(T M) dt dT ---- = k(300 75) dt

dT ---- = 225k dt

Example cont
Example: A potato is taken out of a 300o F oven and left to cool in a room at 75o F. Write a differential equation expressing the change in rate of the temperature of the potato, T, with respect to time, t.
dT ---- o = k(To Tm) dt

T(t) = Tm + (To Tm)e kt T(t) = 75 + (300 75)e kt T(t) = 75 + 225e kt

Use intermediate condition to find k

Newtons Law of Cooling

Example: The great detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, are discussing the murder of actor Cornelius McHam. McHam was shot in the head, and his understudy, Barry Moore, was found standing over the body with the murder weapon in hand. Lets listen in: Watson: Open-and-shut case, Holmes. Moore is the murderer. Holmes: Not so fast, Watson you are forgetting Newtons Law of Cooling! Watson: Huh? Holmes: Elementary, my dear Watson. Moore was found standing over McHam at 10:06 p.m., at which time the coroner recorded a body temperature of 77.9F and noted that the room thermostat was set to 72F. At 11:06 p.m. the coroner took another reading and recorded a body temperature of 75.6F. Since McHams normal temperature was 98.6F, and since Moore was on stage between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Moore is obviously innocent. Ask any calculus student to figure it out for you.

How did Holmes know that Moore was innocent?

CSI Solution
T(t) = Tm + (To Tm)e kt T(t) is temperature of the body at t hours since death Tm = 72 temperature of the room T0 = 98.6 temperature of the body t would represent the hours since death But we dont know the time of death. We can use the coroner's temperature readings to determine k. T(10:06) = 77.9 T(11:06) = 75.6

so T(1) = 75.6 = 72 + (77.9 72)ek 3.6 = 5.9ek k = -ln(3.6/5.9) = .494019

T(t=0) = 98.6 T(t, 10:06) = 77.9 = 72 + 26.6e-0.494019t 5.9 = 26.6e-0.494019t t = ln(5.9/26.6) / -0.494019 = 3.048 hours since death so death occurred at about 7 pm.

Summary & Homework

Summary:
Newtons Law of Cooling has a wide variety of uses

Homework:
pg 621: 14, 15, 16