Convection 4A: Natural convection

This model has two parts with a warm surface at the bottom. The right-hand side is a solid material that happens to have the same conductivity as air. The left-hand side is just air. Warmer air heated by the hot surface has a buoyant force upward. Your task is to compare the rates of the heat flow from the bottom to the top in the two parts.

1. Run the model and note the temperatures measured by the two thermometers.
2. Turn the graph on to watch the changes of the temperatures.
3. Use the buttons at the upper-right corner of the graph window to rescale the curves if necessary. Click on a thermometer to highlight its data.
4. When the model stops, write the temperatures measured by the thermometers and the temperature at the bottom heater in your workbook.

Reset the model. Set the bottom temperature to be "Low" and "High" and repeat steps 1-4, respectively.