Aim : To find the coefficient of thermal conductivity of a bad conductor by Lee’s method.

Apparatus : Lee’s disc apparatus consist of a metallic disc resting on a deep hollow cylinder
(steam chamber) of same diameter, circular disc of the specimen of a bad conductor (ebonite
or card-board), stop watch, two thermometer, boiler, heater, screw gauge and vernier caliper.

Theory : Thermal conductivity (k), is the property of a material that indicates its ability to
conduct heat. Conduction will take place only if there exists a temperature gradient in a solid
(or stationary fluid) medium. Heat moves along a temperature gradient, from an area of high
temperature and high molecular energy to an area with a lower temperature and lower
molecular energy. Conductive heat flow occurs in direction of the decreasing temperature
because higher temperature is associated with higher molecular energy. This transfer will
continue until thermal equilibrium is reached. The rate at which the heat is transferred is
dependent upon the magnitude of the temperature gradient, and the specific thermal
characteristics of the material. Thermal conductivity is quantified in the units of W/mK, and is
the reciprocal of thermal resistivity, which measures an objects ability to resist heat transfer.

Lee’s method is used to measure the thermal conductivity of a poorly conducting

material, such as glass, wood, or polymer. This was one of the earliest methods used to
measure thermal conductivity that gave reliable results and is a steady state method.

Figure 1 Experimental setup for Lee's Disc steady state thermal conductivity measurements.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 consists of two parts. The lower part C is circular metal
disc. The experimental specimen G, usually rubber, glass or ebonite (here it is glass) is placed on
it. The diameter of G is equal to that of C and thickness is uniform throughout. A steam
chamber is placed on C. The lower part of the steam chamber, B is made of a thick metal plate
of the same diameter as of C. The upper part is a hollow chamber in which two side tubes are
provided for inflow and outflow of steam. Two thermometers T1 and T2 are inserted into two
holes in C and B respectively. The complete setup is suspended from a clamp stand by attaching
threads to these hooks. Two good conductivity metal discs (of the same metal) and allow the
setup to come to equilibrium, so that the heat lost by the lower disc to convection is the same
as the heat flow through the poorly conducting disc.

At the steady state, rate of heat transfer (H) by conduction, which is expressed by
Fourier’s Law is given as;

(𝑇2 −𝑇1 )
𝐻=𝑘𝐴 (1.)
𝑥

where k is the thermal conductivity of the sample, A is the cross sectional area and (T2 –
T1) is the temperature difference across the sample thickness ‘x’ (see Fig. 1), assuming that the
heat loss from the sides of the sample is negligible.

When steam flows for some time, the temperatures recorded (T1 and T2) gradually
remain steady. This is the steady state. Let at the steady state,

Temperature of C = T1

Temperature of B = T2

Surface area of G = A (= 𝜋𝑟 2)

Conductivity of G = k

Thickness of G = x
 Hence amount of heat flowing through G per second, H is given by Eq. (1). When the
apparatus is in steady state (temperatures T1 and T2 constant), the rate of heat conduction into
the brass disc C is equal to the rate of heat loss from the bottom of it. The rate of heat loss can
be determined by measuring how fast the disc C cools at the previous (steady state)
temperature T1 (with the top of the brass disk covered with insulation). If the mass and specific
heat of the lower disc are m and s, respectively and the rate of cooling at T1 is dT/dt, then the
amount of heat radiated per second is,
𝑑𝑇
𝐻 = 𝑀 𝑠 𝑑𝑡 (2.)

At steady state, heat conducted through the bad conductor per second will be equal to
heat radiated per second from the exposed portion of the metallic disc. Therefore, equating
Eqs. (1) and (2), we get the coefficient of the thermal conductivity of the sample as
𝑑𝑇
𝑀𝑠 𝑥
𝑑𝑡
𝑘 = (𝑇 −𝑇 ) (3.)
2 1

Procedure :

1. Fill the boiler with water to nearly half and heat it to produce steam.
2. Put the specimen, steam chamber etc. in position and suspend it from the clamp stand.
Insert the thermometers T1 and T2 in position.
3. Pass steam from the inlet of the cylindrical vessel and wait till the steady state is
reached. This will take 30-40 minutes to reach the steady state.
4. Temperatures recorded in the thermometers will show a rise and finally will be steady
at T1 and T2. Then, wait for 10 minutes after reaching the steady state to confirm that
actual steady state is reached or not. Note the steady temperatures indicated by the
thermometers T1 and T2. Interchange the thermometers T1 and T2 and again note down
the temperature readings.
5. Remove the steam chamber and the specimen G. C is still suspended. Heat C directly by
the steam chamber till its temperature is about T1 + 10°.
6. Remove the steam chamber and wait for 30-60 seconds so that heat is uniformly
distributed over the disc C.
7. Place the insulating material on C. Start recording the temperature at intervals of 30
seconds. Continue till the temperature falls by 10°C below T1.
8. Plot a graph between temperature and time.
9. Take weight of C by a weighing balance. Measure the diameter of the specimen by using
vernier calipers. Calculate the surface area, 𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 2 .
10. Measure the thickness of the specimen by screw gauge. Take observations at 3 or 4
spots and take the mean value.
Observations :

Mass of the metallic disc, M = _________ gm

Specific heat of metal, s = 0.0959 kilo-cal/kg

Diameter of the disc (using vernier calipers) :

S. No. Diameter
(in cm)
1.
2.
3.

Mean diameter, D = ___________

Radius of the disc, r =___________

Thickness of disc (using screw gauge) : Pitch = ________, Least Count = _________

S. No. Initial reading Final reading Difference Mean

I (in cm) F (in cm) (I-F) (in cm) (in cm)
1.

2.

3.
Mean thickness, x = _________cm

Steady state of thermometers :

1.) T1 = i._________ ii. ________

2.) T2 = i._________ ii. ________

Mean temperatures T1 = ___________ °C and T2 = ___________ °C

Observations for cooling curve :

No. of observations 1 2 3 4 5 6 … … … till

temperature
falls 10°C
below T1
Time
(in seconds)
Temperature of disc T1
(in °C)

𝑑𝑇
Corresponding to T1, rate of cooling is _______________°C/sec (from the graph)
𝑑𝑡

Coefficient of thermal conductivity :

𝑑𝑇
𝑀𝑠 𝑥
𝑘= 𝑑𝑡
(𝑇2 − 𝑇1 )

Precautions :

1.) The diameter of the insulating disc should be equal to that of the cylindrical vessel and
the metallic disc.
2.) The thermometer should be placed close to the face of the disc of the specimen.
3.) There should be a good thermal contact between the disc of material and the lower
surface of the cylindrical surface and the upper surface of the circular metallic disc.
4.) The steady state temperature should be recorded only when the readings T1 and T2
remain constant after an interval of about 10 minutes.
 5.)

Standard values of coefficient of thermal conductivity of bad materials :

Type of bad material Coefficient of thermal

conductivity (W/mK)
Polystyrene Foam 0.026
Wood - Pine 0.113
Natural Rubber 0.138
Teflon 0.251
Packed Snow 0.469
Pyrex Glass 1.13
Wet Soil 1.506
Manganese 6.694
Stainless Steel 13.389
Lead 34.3

Question: Is thickness of the material alters the conducting nature? Comment.

Question: Lee’s Disc method is not suitable to determine the thermal conductivity of the

good conductor. Justify.

Question: Bad conductors should be thin. Why?