The Heat Is On!

In my experiment, I covered my mugs in aluminum foil, a wash cloth, plastic wrap, and a bounty paper towel.  The results of my experiment are listed in the data table below.   I discovered that the best insulator of heat was the aluminum foil and the worst was the plastic wrap. 

	Original Temperature	Final Temperature	Temperature Change
Aluminum Foil	94o F	89o F	5o F
Cloth	94o F	88o F	6o F
Plastic Wrap	94o F	84o F	10o F
Bounty Paper Towel	94o F	86o F	8o F

If I were to repeat this experiment, I might try other things such as glass, wood, metal, cardboard, rug, etc.  I think using materials such as these would also make it more interesting for my students.  I believe that by using out of the box materials such as these, my students will have to think critically about the outcome of the experiment.   I would assume that glass would be a good insulator since “it has many small air spaces” making it difficult for the molecules to move through (Tillery, Enger, & Ross. 2008. pg 86).  

 I also like the idea of trying to have the students keep food warm.  This would be a great real world scenario.  The question that I would pose to the students is, “The only thing you have for lunch today is a hot dog and you want it to stay as warm as possible.  What would you wrap it in to ensure that you had a nice warm lunch?”   I think some items such as water have the potential (when left uncovered) to cool faster than the food because of its state of matter.  Since water is a liquid, the particles are free to leave the mug allowing the water to cool faster.    

References:

Tillery, B. W., Enger, E. D., & Ross, F. C. (2008). Integrated science (4^th ed.). New York:

McGraw-Hill.

Exploring the Physical World: Week 2 Blog Post

The problem that I chose to test was how different surfaces would affect the momentum of marbles.  In order to explore this problem, I first set up a ramp that would allow the marble to roll down and gain momentum.  I then measured an additional three feet for the marble to roll on the selected surface.  I placed a barrier at the end of the three feet so I knew when to stop my stopwatch. 

The first surface that I tested on was a low rise carpet.  I completed three trial runs and then found the average time, which was two seconds (see data table 1 in reference section).  Next, I moved onto a wood floor.  After completing the trial runs, I discovered that on average, the marble rolled the total distance in 1.5 seconds (see data table 1).  So far it looked as if my hypothesis, the smoother the surface the longer the marble could maintain its momentum, was correct.  To truly determine if my hypothesis was correct I wanted to test on a rougher surface.  The final test that I performed was on very rough carpet.  I was not shocked when the marble stopped completely a few feet before reaching the barrier.   See results below. 

Data Table 1: Small Marble

	Trail 1	Trial 2	Trial 3	Average
Low Rise Carpet	1.9 seconds	2.0 seconds	2.1 seconds	2 seconds
Wood Floor	1.5 seconds	1.6 seconds	1.6 seconds	1.6 seconds
Rough Carpet	Did not make it to three foot barrier

The inquiry experience made me curious about the other concepts that I had read. 

Data Table 2: Large Marble

	Trail 1	Trial 2	Trial 3	Average
Low Rise Carpet	1.8 seconds	1.7 seconds	1.8 seconds	1.8 seconds
Wood Floor	1.4 seconds	1.4 seconds	1.4 seconds	1.4 seconds
Rough Carpet	2.4 seconds	2.5 seconds	2.4 seconds	2.4 seconds

To ensure that the experiment worked out, I completed a few test runs before actually recording any data because I wanted to make sure I pushed the marble and started the clock at the same exact time.  I quickly learned that if I listened for the marble to hit the barrier, rather than looking at the marble, I received the most accurate results.

 I think this experiment is very fun for the students if you allow them to pick their surfaces that they can test on and design the steps of the experiment.  The only problems that I might encounter is bringing in different surfaces for the students to test on.  I could relate this experiment to their lives by asking them when different surfaces have affected their lives.  For example, riding a bike on ice roads verses dirt roads. 

The goal of this experiment is for my students to understand the concept of momentum and how different surfaces can affect momentum, as well as different masses.