Rich:
I can't imagine a formula for such a finding given the myriad of variables
involved. (color, shape, material, barometer, temp, angle of sun,
altitutude, etc.) An MGB and a Minivan have vastly different properties
inside and out.
I'm not a statistician, I just work in a an Army lab where they work. (I'm a
Journalism major, Tanker, Signal officer....scary, huh?) At least I can
communicate the basic idea.
This sounds like more of a job for statistics and experimentation which is
the basis for empirical data.
Given the measurement tools (Thermometer and a watch should suffice), one
could survey (the stats folks love the number 27 for some reason) a group of
different vehicles. This would require the same measurement devices properly
calibrated (reading the same together and accepted as 'accurate') and
ideally measured under the same conditions (cars parked side by side).
Repeat the measurement and you could calculate the averages. Repeat the
measurements a bunch of times and you could devise a formula based on the
data, but I won't pretend to know the math involved in that. What you could
get from 5 very different vehicles with thermometers in and out is a
"trend", which may suffice for your project. Measure the temp in and out 6
times in a day on 5 cars and you have 30 measurements from which you
calculate a mean rise in temp, and 6 average variations, which should be
enough to prove it as FACT. I'm a bit over my head here, but you get the
drift.
My job is to make sure that the scientists remember to kick and drop the
equipment, put it in the rain, cold, heat, mud, dust, etc., and tell them
whether I really give a damn about their statistics when I'm getting shot
at.
This is why it costs big bucks to do real experiments with sophisticated
instruments and Phd's on salary.
Just my $.02. ;)
Dan
73 B
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