Week 4 “The Heat is On”

·         What other materials might you choose if you were to repeat the experiment? Which of these do you believe would be the best insulators? Why?

For this experiment I chose: a washcloth, aluminum foil, parchment paper, and a coffee filter. I had low expectations for the coffee filter since it is designed to allow things to flow through. I was unsure how the parchment paper would do and it did only slightly better than the coffee filter. I was torn between the washcloth and the foil. But the end result proved the aluminum foil to be the best insulator out of the item I chose.

However if I conducted this experiment again I would like to use a piece of Styrofoam which I think would do well.  

What other items might you like to test, other than water? For example, do you think spaghetti or hot dogs might react the same as or differently than hot water? Why might these items cool faster or stay hot longer?

Due to my research on solar power towers during week 3, I would like to heat salt and test it. Judging from my reading last week I think the salt would stay warmer longer than water.

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  How might you set up this or a similar experiment for students in your classroom? How could you make this experiment more fun, interesting, or engaging for your students? How might you design this experiment so that it is relevant to students’ lives?

I think the design of the experiment is good. I would set it up as a teacher demonstration. I would also allow students to choose from ten different insulation options. To make this experiment relevant to their lives I would do a lesson on home insulation and options available. This could be connected to natural resource preservation.