Latent heat comparing ice to wood

In summary, the ice has a higher latent heat and thermal conductivity than wood, resulting in better cooling for the drinks. The specific heat of water is also higher than wood, further supporting the use of ice. Therefore, you should stick with your ice.
  • #1
smillphysics
28
0
You bought two kilograms of ice at -10 degrees celcius for your cooler when a friend suggests to instead use two kilograms of wood at -10 degrees celsius. Why should you stick with your ice?
Thermal Conductivities Latent Heats Specific Heats
Answer with either Good Reason, True but Irrelevant, Wrong

1.The latent heat of the ice is going to keep your drinks cooler for longer.

2.Water has a higher specific heat.

3.The heat conductivity of water is higher than the heat conductivity of wood.

4.Wood has a higher specific heat.

5.The heat conductivity of wood is higher than the heat conductivity of water.
I answered
1. Good Reason- I thought that the latent heat of ice would keep the cooler colder for longer. I also answered this same set of answers but this one marked as Wrong- but now I have changed it correct.
2. True, but irrelevant- Water does have a higher specific heat than wood so its true but it should be irrelevant because we are talking about ice and wood.
3. Good Reason- This is true I think so my only two options are good, which I answered but is this irrelevant?
4. Wrong- This is not true.
5. Wrong- This is not true.


Any help on where I am going wrong on this question?
Thanks,
 
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  • #2
You have three numbers to consider with the ice. The specific heat of ice, the heat of fusion ice to water, and specific heat of water. If both the specific heats of water or ice are more than wood, then for any temperature, even above freezing, you will have delivered more cooling to the drinks. Without knowing what wood is relative to both, it may be more challenging to answer.

Roughly speaking ice specific heat is half that of water, and the heat of fusion is 160 more than that needed for a 1 degrees change in ice.
 
  • #3
I assume you're not a fisherman. Why do you have water in the cooler?
 

1. How does the latent heat of ice compare to that of wood?

The latent heat of ice is significantly higher than that of wood. Ice has a latent heat of fusion of 334 kJ/kg, while wood has a latent heat of vaporization of only 2.3 kJ/kg.

2. Why is the latent heat of ice higher than that of wood?

This is due to the different molecular structures of ice and wood. Ice has a highly organized and rigid structure, requiring a lot of energy to break the bonds and change its state. Wood, on the other hand, has a less organized structure and is more malleable, requiring less energy for a change in state.

3. How does the latent heat of ice and wood affect their melting and boiling points?

The higher latent heat of ice means that it requires more energy to melt compared to wood. This results in a higher melting point for ice. Additionally, the lower latent heat of wood means it requires less energy to boil, resulting in a lower boiling point compared to ice.

4. Can the latent heat of ice and wood be used as a measure of their heat capacity?

While the latent heat of a substance is related to its heat capacity, it is not a direct measure of it. Heat capacity also takes into account the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance, not just change its state.

5. How does the latent heat of ice and wood affect their usefulness as a coolant in refrigeration systems?

The high latent heat of ice makes it a great coolant in refrigeration systems as it can absorb a lot of heat before melting. Wood, on the other hand, is not as effective as a coolant due to its lower latent heat and tendency to burn or decompose at high temperatures.

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