Do different areas of the fridge actually differ in the temperature and humidity conditions they provide? We did the test!
Do different areas of the fridge actually differ in the temperature and humidity conditions they provide? We did the test! |
 | We’ve all seen the little pictures in our fridge telling us where to put certain items. i.e. put the vegetables in the crisper, and the dairy in the dairy compartment, but are the different areas of the fridge really that different? In this month’s experiment we are going to test the temperature and humidity in 3 different locations within 1 fridge and see how they compare. | |
3 x Minnow-1.0TH 1 x Small lunch fridge Method The 3 Minnow loggers were all set to start logging at midday on the day of the test. They were then put into the fridge: one up the top of the fridge, one in the dairy compartment, and one in the vegetable crisper. The 3 loggers were then left for a period of 2 hours at which point they were removed from the fridge and the data was downloaded. Results  Figure 1: Graph reflecting the relevant temperature of the fridge at the various locations tested
 Figure 2: Graph reflecting the humidity recorded in each of the various locations over time
The data shows that the temperature varied quite significantly throughout the fridge. The crisper consistently had the highest temperature, followed by the dairy section, and the top shelf had the lowest temperature. The top shelf is closest to the cold air flow from the fridge which may explain the lower temperature. The humidity also varied throughout the fridge. In our fridge, the top shelf had the highest humidity, followed by the dairy section, and the crisper had the lowest humidity. The low humidity in the crisper would be well suited to fruit and vegetables that tend to rot such as apples and carrots, however it would not be well suited to leafy greens that will wilt much faster in the lower humidity environment. Interestingly, the different zones of the fridge, even though it is a small fridge, all differed in their temperature and humidity levels. This means that choosing the right section to put your produce in is quite important. If you would like to discuss this experiment further please contact one of our friendly Scientists via email or phone on 1300 737 871. | ||
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