Explore the concept of insulation and how it keeps heat from escaping!
Materials:
- 2 clear plastic cups
- Thermometer
- Hot water (ask an adult)
- Insulating material (e.g. cotton balls, styrofoam beads, bubble wrap)
Instructions:
- Fill both cups with hot water.
- Place the thermometer in each cup and record the temperature.
- Take one cup and wrap it with the insulating material. Make sure that the material is covering the entire cup, including the bottom and the handle.
- Leave the other cup as it is.
- Wait for 10 minutes, and then check the temperature of the water in both cups using the thermometer. Record the new temperatures.
Discussion: Compare the temperatures before and after insulation and observe how much the temperature of the hot water in insulated cup drops compared to the one without insulation. The insulated cup will have retained more heat, showing that insulation helps keep heat from escaping, just like how it helps animals stay warm during the winter.
This experiment can also be an introduction for them to discover different type of insulation materials, where the children can try experimenting with different materials and observe which one insulate better. They can compare how well cotton balls, styrofoam beads, or bubble wrap keep the heat inside the cup. This will be a great hands on activity for them to understand the concept and make it more interesting and engaging.