If you wish to save fuel on a cold day, and you're going to leave your warm house for a half hour or so, should you turn your thermostat down a few degrees, down all the way, or leave it at room temperature?
To explain: If the thermostat should be turned down a few degrees, down all the way, or kept at room temperature if one wishes to leave the warm house for half an hour or so and save fuel on a cold day.
Explanation of Solution
Introduction:
According to Newton’s law of cooling, the heat lost by a body is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the body and its surrounding.
If the room is kept warm, it will lose heat at a greater rate because the difference between inside and outside temperature is large. Hence more fuel will be required to keep the home warm. If thermostat is switched off, the room will cool down but lose heat at a lesser rate due to decrease in difference between inside and outside temperature. This will therefore save fuel.
Conclusion:
The thermostat should be kept off to save fuel.
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