Serway & Jewett — The First Law of Thermodynamics: Problem 28.

For bacteriological testing of water supplies and in medical clinics, samples must routinely be incubated for 24 h at 37°C. Peace Corps volunteer and MIT engineer Amy Smith invented a low-cost, low-maintenance incubator. The incubator consists of a foam-insulated box containing a waxy material that melts at 37.0°C interspersed among tubes, dishes, or bottles containing the test samples and growth medium (bacteria food). Outside the box, the waxy material is first melted by a stove or solar energy collector. Then the waxy material is put into the box to keep the test samples warm as the material solidifies. The heat of fusion of the phase-change material is 205 kJ/kg. Model the insulation as a panel with surface area 0.490 m², thickness 4.50 cm, and conductivity 0.012 0 W/m · °C. Assume the exterior temperature is 23.0°C for 12.0 h and 16.0°C for 12.0 h. (a) What mass of the waxy material is required to conduct the bacteriological test? (b) Explain why your calculation can be done without knowing the mass of the test samples or of the insulation.