{"title":"Teaching differential equations through modelling: hot water heater","authors":"Viktoria Savatorova, Aleksei Talonov","doi":"10.1080/0020739x.2023.2249899","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"AbstractWe present an example of one of the modelling projects we assign to students in our differential equations classes. Students are asked to determine how to run a cost-efficient hot water heating system. We consider a cylindrical tank filled with water and heated by a heating element immersed in it. Together with students we discuss physical laws governing the process and make assumptions necessary to build a model. One of the goals of the modelling activity is to compute the time needed for water to reach the desired temperature given the power of the heating element and the size of the water tank. Several different scenarios can be discussed. Assuming the cost of heating the water is directly related to the time for which the power is ON, students can choose the most cost-efficient scenario. We provide the description of several modelling activities and obtained results.Keywords: Mathematical modellingordinary differential equationshot water heater Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.","PeriodicalId":14026,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology","volume":"72 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7000,"publicationDate":"2023-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739x.2023.2249899","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
AbstractWe present an example of one of the modelling projects we assign to students in our differential equations classes. Students are asked to determine how to run a cost-efficient hot water heating system. We consider a cylindrical tank filled with water and heated by a heating element immersed in it. Together with students we discuss physical laws governing the process and make assumptions necessary to build a model. One of the goals of the modelling activity is to compute the time needed for water to reach the desired temperature given the power of the heating element and the size of the water tank. Several different scenarios can be discussed. Assuming the cost of heating the water is directly related to the time for which the power is ON, students can choose the most cost-efficient scenario. We provide the description of several modelling activities and obtained results.Keywords: Mathematical modellingordinary differential equationshot water heater Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
期刊介绍:
Mathematics is pervading every study and technique in our modern world, bringing ever more sharply into focus the responsibilities laid upon those whose task it is to teach it. Most prominent among these is the difficulty of presenting an interdisciplinary approach so that one professional group may benefit from the experience of others. The International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology provides a medium by which a wide range of experience in mathematical education can be presented, assimilated and eventually adapted to everyday needs in schools, colleges, polytechnics, universities, industry and commerce. Contributions will be welcomed from lecturers, teachers and users of mathematics at all levels on the contents of syllabuses and methods of presentation.