On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 14:08:50 +0000, Dick Adams wrote:

>
> "Mac" > wrote in message
> news >
>> Oh, yes, I think (Kenneth is) right. The key thing is that if the stone is
>> between the heating element and the place where the thermostat sensor
>> resides, then the stone will probably get very hot indeed!
>
> So then, how well do you suppose the thermostat would work?
>

Not very well. It would keep the oven on until the main oven chamber heats
up to the set temperature. Some parts of the oven might even get hotter
than they were designed for. But this would only happen, I think, if the
stone were placed so that the heat from the element would have to pass
through the stone to get to the main oven chamber. Even though I put this
idea out there, I don't really believe it.

> Maybe there is some student of 9th grade science who could help us here?

Well, I think the most likely explanation for the reported phenomenon
is (as both Ernie and I have postulated) that the IR radiation from the
heating element (if it is exposed) or oven roof or floor (wherever the
heating element is) heats the stone up above the average oven air
temperature. This is perfectly consistent with my (perhaps limited)
understanding of thermodynamics.

The thing about the stone being on top of the heating element and
basically blocking the heat from entering the oven was just something I
threw in at the last second before hitting "post." I don't really believe
it myself anymore. ;-)

--Mac