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Computer Program Detail Page

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Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model
written by Wolfgang Christian
The Heating and Cooling a Sphere model computes the radial temperature distribution within a sphere as it is heated and cooled by a surrounding fluid.  The sphere is broken into shells and the temperature of each shell is computed using a finite difference approximation to the radial heat equation in spherical coordinates.  It is a supplemental simulation for an article by William Dittrich in The Physics Teacher (TPT).  

The sphere heats and cools by exchanging thermal energy with the surrounding fluid by convection and this energy exchange is proportional to the difference between the sphere's surface temperature Ts and the temperature of the fluid Tf.  Inside the sphere the thermal energy is transported by diffusion.   The temperature inside is uniform if thermal energy transfer within the sphere is faster than thermal energy transfer at the surface.

The simulation shows how a temperature gradient appears if the heat transfer coefficient or the transfer coefficient are large.  The Heating and Cooling a Sphere model allows users to select copper, aluminum, and iron material properties and to set the sphere's radius and its heat transfer coefficient to observe these effects.

The Heating and Cooling a Sphere model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool.  It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive.  Double clicking the ejs_heat_HeatingAndCoolingSphere.jar file will run the program if Java is installed.

Please note that this resource requires at least version 1.5 of Java.
1 supplemental document is available
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Mathematical Tools
- Differential Equations
Thermo & Stat Mech
- Thermal Properties of Matter
= Temperature
= Thermometry
- Lower Undergraduate
- Upper Undergraduate
- Instructional Material
= Interactive Simulation
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Learners
- Educators
- application/java
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Access Rights:
Free access
License:
This material is released under a GNU General Public License Version 3 license. Additional information is available.
Rights Holder:
Wolfgang Christian
Keyword:
specific heat
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created June 5, 2010 by Wolfgang Christian
Record Updated:
June 6, 2014 by Andreu Glasmann
Last Update
when Cataloged:
June 5, 2010
ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link
AIP Format
W. Christian, Computer Program HEATING AND COOLING A SPHERE MODEL, Version 1.0 (2010), WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665).
AJP/PRST-PER
W. Christian, Computer Program HEATING AND COOLING A SPHERE MODEL, Version 1.0 (2010), <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665>.
APA Format
Christian, W. (2010). Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model (Version 1.0) [Computer software]. Retrieved December 7, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665
Chicago Format
Christian, Wolfgang. "Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model." Version 1.0. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665 (accessed 7 December 2024).
MLA Format
Christian, Wolfgang. Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model. Vers. 1.0. Computer software. 2010. Java 1.5. 7 Dec. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{ Author = "Wolfgang Christian", Title = {Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model}, Month = {June}, Year = {2010} }
Refer Export Format

%A Wolfgang Christian %T Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model %D June 5, 2010 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665 %O 1.0 %O application/java

EndNote Export Format

%0 Computer Program %A Christian, Wolfgang %D June 5, 2010 %T Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model %7 1.0 %8 June 5, 2010 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10070&DocID=1665


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Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model:

Is Based On Easy Java Simulations Modeling and Authoring Tool

The Easy Java Simulations Modeling and Authoring Tool is needed to explore the computational model used in the Heating and Cooling a Sphere Model.

relation by Wolfgang Christian

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