[Aisha_18]

Why would it be important to ensure that the temperature of the melting bath is slowly and steadily raised at a rate of 4 degrees per minute when the temperature gets close to the melting point of the sample?

[Yggdrasil]

Well, what might happen if the temperature is raised too quickly?

[Aisha_18]

I was thinking that the melting block and the sample in the capillary, will be at a different temperature to the thermometers temperature. Therfore you have to slow down to ensure that they are the same temperature.

[renge ishyo]

That is a good answer. There is definitely a delay when you switch the temperature to a new one while the apparatus heats up and reaches a new equilibrium with the thermometer. If you change the temperature only slightly then this delay is rather small and the measurements become accurate more quickly. The big problem is that if you don't slow down the process and change the temperature very slightly near the melting point you can easily melt your sample before you can get a really accurate temperature reading.

[Sam (NG)]

I was thinking that the melting block and the sample in the capillary, will be at a different temperature to the thermometers temperature. Therfore you have to slow down to ensure that they are the same temperature.

This is true, but I think that Yggdrasil was probably getting at a different point.

Another hint: How fast are your reactions?