experiment thermal system

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Stemonstrations: thermal energy.

Grade Levels

Physical Science, Energy, Matter and Its Properties

Lesson Plans / Activities, Videos

Maintaining a comfortable temperature through thermal energy transfer plays a large role in sustaining life, both aboard the International Space Station and on Earth oceans. In this STEMonstration, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara explains three different ways thermal energy can be transferred from object to object to help maintain homeostasis: conduction, convection, and radiation. Learn how astronauts aboard the space station observe changes in ocean life and send their observations to scientists on Earth.

In the corresponding classroom connection, students will conduct their own experiments and classify natural phenomena into one of the three types of thermal energy transfer.

STEMonstrations are short, 3-5-minute educational videos filmed by the crew aboard the International Space Station. The crew uses the unique microgravity environment on station to demonstrate popular K-12 STEM topics.

Classroom Connection: Thermal Energy

Grade Levels:  6 – 8

Time Required : 60-90 minutes

Next Generation Science Standards :

MS-PS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device which will minimize or maximize thermal energy transfer.

MS-PS3-4: Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Explore More STEMonstrations

6.2 Thermal Energy

How can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down?

Unit Summary

What keeps different cups or containers from warming up or cooling down? Students begin this 6th grade science unit by experimenting whether a new plastic cup sold by a store keeps a drink colder for longer than the regular plastic cup that comes free with the drink. Students find that the drink in the regular cup warms up more than the drink in the special cup. This prompts students to identify features of the cups that are different, such as the lid, walls, and hole for the straw, that might explain why one drink warms up more than the other.

In this 6th grade science unit, students investigate the different cup features they conjecture to explain the phenomenon, starting with the lid. They model how matter can enter or exit the cup via evaporation. However, they find that in a completely closed system, the liquid inside the cup still changes temperature. This motivates the need to trace the transfer of energy into the drink as it warms up. Through a series of lab investigations and simulations, students find two ways to transfer energy into the drink: (1) the absorption of light and (2) thermal energy from the warmer air around the drink. They are then challenged to design their own drink container that can perform as well as the store-bought container, following a set of design criteria and constraints.

Simulations

Unit 6.2 L13 Conduction in Solids Full

Unit 6.2 L13 Conduction in Solids Reduced

Unit 6.2 L13 Collisions Up Close

Unit 6.2 L12 Gas Particle Motion

Unit 6.2 L11 Molecular View of a Gas

Unit examples, additional unit information, next generation science standards addressed in this unit.

Performance Expectations

This 6th grade science unit on thermal energy builds toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs):

• MS-PS1-4*: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
• MS-PS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer
• MS-PS3-4 : Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample
• MS-PS3-5: Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
• MS-PS4-2* : Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
• MS-ETS1-4 : Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

*These performance expectations are developed across multiple units. This unit reinforces or works toward these NGSS PEs that students should have previously developed or will develop more fully in future units. In the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence, PS4-2 is first built in Unit 6.1. In this new context of particle models and energy transfer, students learn more about how absorption of light occurs at the particle level. This unit begins to address changes in state that are part of PS1-4; then changes in state are more fully developed in the next unit, 6.3, on water cycling. In 6.3, students learn that evaporation and condensation occur when energy is added or removed from the substance.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

The 6th grade science unit on thermal energy expands students’ understanding of particle models and energy transfer, which include these Grade 6–8 DCI elements:

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

• Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. (MS‑PS1‑4)
• In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. (MS‑PS1‑4)
• The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and predicted using these models of matter. (MS‑PS1‑4)

PS3.A: Definitions of Energy

• The term “heat” as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of atoms or molecules within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects. (secondary to MS‑PS1‑4)
• Temperature is not a measure of energy; the relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (secondary to MS‑PS1‑4)
• Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (MS‑PS3‑3), (MS‑PS3‑4)

PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

• When the kinetic energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time. (MS‑PS3‑5)
• The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. (MS‑PS3‑4)
• Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones. (MS‑PS3‑3)

PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation

• When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the frequency (color) of the light. (MS‑PS4‑2)

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem

• The more precisely a design task’s criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that is likely to limit possible solutions. (secondary to MS‑PS3‑3)

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

• A solution needs to be tested and then modified on the basis of the test results in order to improve it. There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. (secondary to MS‑PS3‑3)

*There is a strike through part of the DCI elements that are not developed in this unit. In the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence, students will develop an understanding of changes in state, particularly as they relate to pressure, in OpenSciEd Unit 6.3, and frequency (color) of light in OpenSciEd Unit 8.4. The placement of this OpenSciEd Unit 6.2 and associated units are shown in the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence . 

Science & Engineering Practices

• Developing & Using Models
• Planning & Carrying Out Investigations
• Analyzing & Interpreting Data
• Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Crosscutting Concepts

• Systems & System Models
• Energy & Matter
• Structure & Function

Connections to the Nature of Science

Which elements of the Nature of Science are developed in this unit?

• Science investigations use a variety of methods and tools to make measurements and observations. (NOS-SEP)
• Science investigations are guided by a set of values to ensure accuracy of measurements, observations, and objectivity of findings.(NOS-SEP)
• Science depends on evaluating proposed explanations. (NOS-SEP)
• Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations (NOS-SEP)
• Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. (NOS-CCC)
• Science carefully considers and evaluates anomalies in data and evidence. (NOS-CCC)

How are they developed?

• Students engage with different tools (i.e., thermometers, light sensors, digital scales, simulations) to make measurements and observations.
• Students initially conduct uncontrolled investigations which prompts them to reconsider how they should better control their experiments. They also consider the accuracy of the data they collect from sampling errors and/or limitations of the tools they use.
• Students first investigate whether matter moving between systems explains the change in temperature. When they close the system and the temperature still changes, they consider whether light is causing the change in temperature. When a cup system placed in the dark still changes temperature, they begin to conduct a series of investigations on energy transfer via particle-scale mechanisms. The series described above engages students in collecting evidence to evaluate possible explanations for the water to cup up inside the cup.
• Students’ initial explanations about the cup warming up are not supported by evidence. Even though students cannot see the particles collide resulting in energy transfer, they can use macro scale experiences of collisions and computer simulations to make sense of what is happening between particles they cannot observe directly.
• Because students cannot observe particle motion directly, they must assume that collision between objects at the macroscale events share a similar pattern in energy transfer to at the particle scale, and that instruments we use, such as thermometers, can measure unobservable mechanisms.
• Students analyze data and determine what constitutes as an outlier (multiple lessons).

Unit Placement Information

What is the anchoring phenomenon and why was it chosen?

The anchoring phenomenon for this unit is a double-walled, plastic cup that looks similar to a regular plastic cup, but can keep a drink cold for longer than the regular plastic cup. These double-walled cups are often sold with claims that they can keep beverages colder (or warmer) for longer periods of time compared to other cups. Double-walled cups are made using air or vacuum insulation. This air- or vacuum-insulated layer minimizes energy transfer via conduction.  The result is a cup that slows energy transfer allowing a cold drink to remain cold or a hot drink to retain its energy to remain warm for a longer period of time. Students will initially think they can explain the phenomenon using terms like ‘insulated’ or ‘vacuum sealed’ but when pressed further in Lesson 1, gaps in their understanding of how and why this works are revealed, which are used to motivate student learning throughout the unit.

The choice for a unit focus on double-walled cup designs was made for the following reasons:

• The disciplinary core ideas for energy transfer focus on transfer by conduction (i.e., particles colliding with each other). Thus, other energy transfer devices, such as a solar cooker or emergency blanket, while related to this anchoring phenomenon, would require knowledge of transfer by radiation that students have not yet developed in the middle school OpenSciEd Sequence. Thus, the unit needed a phenomenon that would allow students to explore conduction deeply. Radiation and convection are added to students’ understanding of energy transfer in the Storms Unit that follows this unit.
• This unit includes a substantial engineering component with multiple iterations on design. Designing any device in the classroom can be costly and material intensive, but designing cups allowed for fewer materials and an easier design process compared to other options.
• The phenomenon is pervasive in our lives. Cups of different materials are used at home, restaurants, and fast food chains. Expensive vacuum sealed cups and coolers tout their quality is worth the added price. This unit makes this everyday phenomenon puzzling to students by engaging them in explaining why certain materials and designs work by minimizing energy transfer. This unit intentionally makes the everyday experience ‘phenomenal’.
• A pre-field test of the pilot for a cup design anchor produced Driving Question Boards with productive students’ questions and ideas for investigations and sources of data needed to answer those questions. We used these early pilots of the anchor lesson and the field test feedback to anticipate the kinds of questions students would want to investigate throughout the unit. Teachers reported that students initially think they can explain the phenomenon but once they realize they do not understand vacuums and air insulations, there were high levels of engagement and curiosity about it.
• Focusing on keeping a drink cold, as opposed to keeping a drink warm, was preferred for safety reasons. Students participate in multiple labs using water or different temperatures. While they do work with warm water at times, we tried to limit use of warm or hot water. It was especially important in the design challenge to use cold water for safety, as opposed to hot water.

If students experience phenomenon fatigue with the cups given the length of the unit, it’s possible to broaden to related objects and devices, such as coolers, lunch boxes, or other devices that minimize energy transfer by slowing conduction. It is recommended not to broaden too far into energy transfer via convection or radiation as those ideas will be developed later in the OpenSciEd sequence.

How is the unit structured?

In the first lesson set, students conduct initial investigations into the cups to test cup features (components of the system) they conjecture may be important to keep the drink cold. They test their ideas with both cold and hot water to see how the cup features works in both situations. This motivates 1) the need for more systematic investigations to test the various cup features, and 2) wanting to look closely at the function of the lid (because initial data indicates that the lid is a crucial part of the system). Students design and carry out controlled investigations testing the lid. They figure out that the lid acts to close the system by trapping matter from escaping. They develop particle models to explain evaporation, mostly focused on modeling the structure of solids, liquids, and gases, and the movement of water particles from liquid to gas. Their models at this point are limited to explaining how particles of liquid gain energy and become gas particles moving into the air. Thus, they are left puzzled by the observation that when they completely close the system, the drink still warms up — even though they are sure that matter can no longer escape or enter the system from gaps in the lid area.

This limitation in their models motivates the second lesson set. In this lesson set, students investigate how energy can enter or leave the system. They investigate their ideas about light first, given they have more background about light from the previous One-way Mirror Unit . They investigate how light interacts with the cup walls and lid. Students figure out that the liquid inside cups with reflective walls warm up less than liquids inside cups with transparent and dark-colored walls. Using this evidence, they modify their models for explaining how light interacts with matter to include absorption of light. While these models explain more than their prior models, students find that, even when placed in a completely dark space, the liquid inside the cup warms up. This motivates the need for another mechanism of energy transfer. Students investigate particle motion in warmer and cooler substances via lab investigations and a series of simulations. Through these investigations, they collect evidence that suggests energy enters the cup system through particle collisions from the relatively warmer air outside the cup. Thus, they add this mechanism of energy transfer to their explanations of the phenomena so far.

In the third lesson set, students revisit popular and highly effective design features of cups, such as reflective materials and air insulation, and they model how these features minimize energy transfer by reducing absorption of light or minimizing the opportunity for particle collisions. They draw on their models to engage in a design challenge to design a cup that can compete with the expensive store-bought cups in keeping liquids cold. They use what they have figured out about mechanisms of energy transfer and design features that slow energy transfer so that the liquid in the cup keeps its original temperature longer. Students design, build, test, and modify their cup system through two design cycles. At the conclusion of this design challenge, students develop the ultimate cup design together, drawing upon features of successful cups. Then they apply their model for energy transfer to explain related phenomena they experience in their daily lives.

Where does this unit fall within the OpenSciEd Scope & Sequence?

This is the second unit in the 6th grade scope and sequence for OpenSciEd. There are six total units designed for 6th grade. This unit directly builds off the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) developed in the first unit of 6th grade, the One-way Mirror Unit . The unit helps to complete coverage of element 1 of disciplinary core idea PS4.B Electromagnetic Radiation.

This unit is also the very first engineering unit for the OpenSciEd sequence and relies heavily on elementary engineering design Performance Expectations, while further developing engineering design focused on constraints, trade offs, and systematic testing and iteration.

The very next unit in the OpenSciEd Sequence, the Storms Unit will build off the DCIs, CCCs, and SEPs developed in this unit, further elaborating on particle models, matter transformation, and energy transfer in the context of micro to large-scale systems.

What modifications will I need to make if this unit is taught out of sequence?

This is the second unit in 6th grade in the OpenSciEd Middle School Scope and Sequence and it focuses on thermal energy. Given this placement, several modifications would need to be made if teaching this unit earlier or later in the middle school curriculum. These include:

• If taught before OpenSciEd Unit 6.1, supplemental teaching of light interactions with matter, such as reflection and transmission, would need to be added. These ideas are fundamental to the model students need to build of energy transfer through particle collisions.
• If taught before OpenSciEd Unit 6.1 or at the start of the school year, supplemental teaching of classroom norms, setting up the Driving Question Board, and asking open-ended and testable questions would need to be added. (These supports are built into 6.1.)
• If taught later in the OpenSciEd sequence after other engineering design challenges, modify the cup design challenge so that students are more involved in defining the problem and determining the criteria and constraints. Currently, Unit 6.2 is students’ first introduction to engineering design in the OpenSciEd 6–8th grade sequence. Therefore it is more scaffolded than it would need to be if the unit were taught much later in the middle school curriculum.

What are prerequisite math concepts necessary for the unit?

Beginning in Lesson 4 and throughout the unit, students focus on pooling and then averaging test results and building an understanding of temperature as a measure of average particle movement. They take measurements in the tenth or hundredth in decimal points, and must consider negative and positive numbers as they mass systems. Prerequisite math concepts that may be helpful include:

• CCSS.Math.Content.5.NBT.A.3 Read, write, and compare decimals to thousandths.
• CCSS.Math.Content.5.NBT.A.4 Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.A.3 Recognize that a measure of center for a numerical data set summarizes all of its values with a single number, while a measure of variation describes how its values vary with a single number.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.NS.C.5 Understand that positive and negative numbers are used together to describe quantities having opposite directions or values (e.g., temperature above/below zero, elevation above/below sea level, debits/credits, positive/negative electric charge); use positive and negative numbers to represent quantities in real-world contexts, explaining the meaning of 0 in each situation.

Calculating a mean of a data set is a target idea in 6th-grade CCMS. Prior to Lesson 4 in this unit, talk to your grade’s math teacher to find out when students will learn how to calculate the mean of a numerical data set in math class this year. If they have worked on this already, ask the math teacher for an example data set they worked with and any suggested modification to your anchor chart for calculating a mean. If students haven’t yet worked through any examples in their math classes, then the pooled temperature data in this lesson will be an example you save to refer to in future lessons in concert with this anchor chart. Also ask the math teacher if students have worked with using negative numbers to represent quantities in the real world. This will inform your decision about how to represent temperature changes in the pooled class data table.

How do I shorten or condense the unit if needed? How can I extend the unit if needed?

The following are example options to shorten or condense parts of the unit without eliminating important sensemaking for students:

• Eliminate or reduce Lesson 5 focused on condensation. Condensation on the outside of the cup may not become obvious to students and therefore not needed to be investigated. Condensation will be deeply explored in the next unit, Storms Unit .
• Shorten Lesson 7 to be a brief problematize move to motivate needing to investigate other ways to warm up the cup, focusing students on energy transfer.
• Instead of conducting the Lesson 9 lab, make a video of the lab in advance and watch it together as a class. Then discuss the patterns in temperature data.
• Eliminate the food coloring investigation in Lesson 10. The peppermint dye video is sufficient for developing the idea that particles is warmer liquids are moving faster.
• Sort the evidence from Lessons 11-13 as you go to eliminate the evidence sorting activity at the start of lesson 14. If students are fairly convinced that energy transfers from hotter regions to colder ones after Lesson 13, eliminate the butter demonstration, too.
• Eliminate the Lesson 15 posters of features that minimize energy transfer and gallery walk that follows.

To extend or enhance the unit, consider the following:

• Consider opening up the design challenge to other devices in which conduction is the primary means of energy transfer, such as coolers or lunch boxes.
• Involve students more in setting up the engineering design challenge to name their criteria and constraints and to identify how to test their devices against the criteria and constraints. Students could also interview stakeholders, such as other students, teachers, and family members to decide what criteria should be prioritized most.

Unit Acknowledgements

Unit Development Team

• Lindsey Mohan, Unit Lead, BSCS Science Learning
• Zoe Buck Bracey, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Emily Harris, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Ari Jamshidi, Writer, Stanford University
• Abe Lo, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Michael Novak, Writer & Reviewer, Northwestern University
• Tracey Ramirez, Writer, Charles A. Center at UT-Austin
• Dawn Novak, Pilot teacher, Maple School 
• Tyler Scaletta, Pilot teacher, North Shore Country Day School
• Katie Van Horne, Assessment Specialist
• David Fortus, Unit Advisory Chair, Weizmann Institute of Science

Production Team

BSCS Science Learning

• Kate Herman, Copyeditor, Independent Contractor
• Stacey Luce, Editorial Production Lead
• Valerie Maltese, Marketing Specialist & Project Coordinator
• Alyssa Markle, Project Coordinator
• Chris Moraine, Multimedia Graphic Designer

Additional Acknowledgement

This unit was adapted from  Energy: How can we design a device to warm something up? , originally co-developed by San Francisco Unified School District and SCALE at Stanford University 2017–2018. Used with permission. Energy: How can we design a device to warm something up? was developed with funding from Lucas Education Research, part of the George Lucas Education Foundation.

Unit External Evaluation

EdReports awarded OpenSciEd an all-green rating for our Middle School Science Curriculum in February 2023.  The materials received a green rating on all three qualifying gateways: Designed for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Coherence and Scope, and Usability. To learn more and read the report, visit the  EdReports site .

NextGenScience’s Science Peer Review Panel

An integral component of OpenSciEd’s  development process is external validation of alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards by NextGenScience’s Science Peer Review Panel using the EQuIP Rubric for Science . We are proud that this unit has earned the highest score available and has been awarded the  NGSS Design Badge . You can find additional information about the EQuIP rubric and the peer review process at the  nextgenscience.org  website.

Unit standards

This unit builds toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs) as described in the OpenSciEd Scope & Sequence:

Reference to kit materials

The OpenSciEd units are designed for hands-on learning and therefore materials are necessary to teach the unit. These materials can be purchased as science kits or assembled using the kit material list.

NGSS Design Badge Awarded: Jul 13, 2020 Awarded To: OpenSciEd Unit 6.2: How Can Containers Keep Stuff From Warming Up or Cooling Down? VERIFY

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Keep It Hot!

Hands-on Activity Keep It Hot!

Grade Level: 6 (5-7)

(over four days; see the Procedure section for details)

This activity also uses some non-expendable (reusable) items such as a household fan, felt sheets and bubble wrap; see the Materials List for details.

Group Size: 4

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Physical Science

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Activities Associated with this Lesson Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.

Te newsletter, engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, pre-req knowledge, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, troubleshooting tips, activity extensions, user comments & tips.

Development of insulated vessels is important in engineering, especially in the fields of mechanical, chemical and biological engineering. What students (and engineers) learn about the design and construction of insulated beverage containers can be applied to the design of insulation for houses, clothing and appliances such as refrigerators and ovens.

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Identify materials that are good or poor thermal insulators.
• List modes of heat transfer and identify where conduction and convection occur in an insulated container.
• Describe the effect of insulation thickness on heat transfer.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science, common core state standards - math.

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

State standards, california - math, california - science.

Each group needs:

• 4 beverage bottles, 12 oz. (355 ml) glass or rigid plastic with tight fitting lids; see the Troubleshooting Tips section for an alternative setup using beakers and Styrofoam plates
• aluminum foil, ~12-in x 12-in piece (30-cm x 30-cm)
• bubble-wrap, ~12-in x 12-in piece
• construction paper or tag board/card stock, ~8.5-in x 11-in sheet (22-cm x 28-cm)
• felt, ~8.5-in x 11-in piece
• other potential insulation materials that students bring from home that they wish to test
• thermometers; one per bottle is ideal (share among the groups if not enough)
• (optional) graph paper, one sheet per student (if students graph their data; see the Activity Extensions section)
• Keep It Hot! Handout , one per student
• Keep It Hot! Post-Quiz , one per student

To share with the entire class:

• hot water in a container with a spout, either from the tap, microwaved or a mix of boiling water and cool tap water

Students need a good understanding of thermal energy, heat and heat transfer, including the concepts of conduction, convection and insulation, as provided by the What Is Heat? associated lesson. Students also should know how to read thermometers and record data.

Who likes a cold drink on a hot day? How about hot soup on a cold day? How do you keep a cold drink cold and a hot drink hot? Imagine a picnic in the park on a hot summer day. Where do you keep your cold drinks? (Expect students to name ice chests and coolers.) What if you want to bring hot soup to school on a cold day? What would you use to keep it hot? (Expect students to suggest using a thermos bottle.) Over the years, engineers have spent a lot of time trying to come up with creative ways to keep some things hot and other things cool. Today, we are going to act as if we are engineers and explore ways to keep something hot.

We learned in our heat lesson that thermal energy is transferred in three different ways. Can you name all three? (Listen to student answers and make sure they name conduction, convection and radiation.)

Who can remember the difference between conduction and convection? (Give students time to recall the differences and/or review their notes.)

What is conduction? (Call on students until a clear definition of is provided: heat transfer within or between solid objects.) Can anyone give me an example of conduction?

What is convection? (Call on students until a clear definition of is provided: heat transfer into or out of fluids.) Can anyone give an example of convection?

What do we call materials that slow down heat transfer? (Call on students someone says: insulators.)

Today, we are going to see conduction and convection in action and see what sorts of materials make good insulators so that we can keep something hot for as long as possible. In engineering teams, you will design and construct insulated bottles to hold hot drinks. We will put hot water in the bottles and then take temperature measurements to see which design keeps the water hottest over time.

Timing & Schedule

Plan on this activity taking about 200 minutes total over four days. Suggested schedule:

• Day 1: Preparation and design (30 minutes)
• Day 2: Build and test without a fan (60 minutes)
• Day 3: Test with a fan (50 minutes)
• Day 4: Results/discussion, writing, assessment (60 minutes)

The procedures below include a pacing guide; timing is given as cumulative elapsed time for each day. For example, "minutes 5-10" means from the fifth to the tenth minute of the activity.

Before the Activity

• Invite students to bring in materials from home to test as insulators for their bottles.
• Gather materials and make copies of the Keep It Hot! Handout and Keep It Hot! Post-Quiz , one each per student.
• Prepare a pitcher(s) of hot water. Keep in mind that the higher the initial temperature of the water in the bottles, the more noticeable the temperature drop will be; however, severe burns may occur if students come in contact, even briefly, with water of greater than 140 ˚F (~60 ˚C). A 1:1 mixture of boiling water with cool tap water yields approximately this temperature.

With the Students

Day 1: Engineering Challenge Preparation and Design

• (minutes 0-5) Have students complete their handouts up to the activity description, which includes the Introduction portion on the first page and the questions on the second page.
• (minutes 5-10) Have students read through (aloud) the engineering challenge activity overview, the design description, and the materials list on the third page of the handout. Ensure that students understand that during Day 2 and Day 3 of the activity, each group is responsible to do the following:
• Prepare 4 bottles: 1 control bottle with no insulation and 3 other bottles, each with different types of insulation attached.
• Test designs for two 10-minute periods (this is flexible). In the first period, the bottles do not experience forced air movement, so any convection that occurs is natural convection. In the second period, place the bottles under airflow provided by a fan in order to see the effect of forced air on heat transfer.
• (minutes 10-25) Have students work in teams to decide what materials they want to test and the thickness of those materials to be applied. To engage thinking on this topic, have students address the two questions at the bottom of page three of the handout. Encourage students to brainstorm and research on what might be good or bad insulation materials.
• (minutes 25-30) Have students read through the procedure (aloud) for what they will be doing the next day. Let them know that they are responsible for bringing in any additional materials to test and that the activity will start promptly the next time they assemble.

Day 2: Build and Test 1 - Cooling with No Fan

• (minutes 0-5) Briefly review the activity procedure on the handout and check in with groups who brought materials to ensure that they are suitable for the task at hand. (Can the material be applied to a bottle; if so, how?)
• (minutes 5-7) Pass out the materials (or enlist students to do so). It is best if groups that brought test materials forego using the teacher-supplied insulation test materials because trying to test more than four bottles per group is usually too much to manage.
• (minutes 7-20) In this design phase, groups prepare their insulated bottles by applying a different insulating material to each bottle. This may include experimentation with applying more than one layer of material. Have students bring completed bottles to a central location (such as a back counter). Have them place a thermometer in one of their bottles.
• (minutes 20-25) As groups bring to the back counter their bottles, fill them with hot water and have one student read the thermometer. At this point, all bottle contents are the same temperature so it is only necessary to measure one. Have students record this value for all bottles in the handout's Day 2 data collection table. Immediately after measuring the temperature, cap all bottles tightly. Let them sit undisturbed for ~10 minutes (it need not be exact for all groups because all of their bottles will receive the same treatment).
• (minutes 25-35) During the 10-minute wait, engage the groups in a vocabulary review or quiz about the different modes of heat transfer. Help students bridge the comprehension gap of what they learned in prior lesson(s) about heat, and the activity at hand.
• (minutes 35-60) Have students read and record the water temperatures in their bottles. This can be done efficiently, by having group 1 go to the back counter and record the temperature readings off the four thermometers in its four bottles that the instructor placed in the bottles. Then have group 1 move the four thermometers to the bottles of group 2. Then group 2 goes back and records its values. Group 2 moves the thermometers to group 3's bottles and so on. Have groups calculate the temperature differences for each bottle and answer the discussion question on page four of the handout.
• Have groups empty their bottles and set them aside for Day 3.

Day 3: Test 2 - Cooling with Fan

• (minutes 0-5) Briefly review the activity procedure and the goal for today's testing. Encourage students to make predictions about how the fan will affect the cooling of the bottles.
• (minutes 5-10) Direct the groups to reposition their bottles in front of a household fan. Re-fill the bottles with hot water and take the initial temperature readings for students (to save time). Have students record this temperature as their initial temperatures in the handout's "fan on" Day 3 data collection table on page five.
• (minutes 10-20) Turn on the fan and let the bottles sit in the air stream for 10 minutes.
• (minutes 20-45) Using the same method as before, have groups read the temperatures in their bottles, recording results in the handout's Day 3 table. Have groups calculate the temperature differences for each bottle and attempt the discussion questions, as time permits.
• (minutes 45-50) Wrap up by explaining that next time, the focus will be on answering the discussion questions.

• (minutes 0-2) Explain the plan for today. We will complete the handout discussion questions and then take a short quiz on heat transfer.
• (minutes 2-10) Expect many students to have already have answered the first discussion question. Take a few minutes to have a few students share their results to develop a class consensus on what materials worked well as insulators. Write these on the board. Did thickness matter? For groups with small temperature changes, how many layers of material did they apply?
• (minutes 10-45) Have students answer the remaining discussion questions, pausing between them to discuss answers as a class and gauge student understanding of key concepts. Additional discussion suggestions:
• Reinforce the connection between heat and real world problems by asking students to think of other devices or situations that might involve heat flow and the need to either increase or decrease heat flow. (Such as wearing winter jacket.)
• One example that involves the control of heat flow is house construction and insulation. A home with poor thermal insulation requires the use of additional energy to heat in the winter and cool in the summer, increasing its environmental impact. Insulation beyond a certain thickness might not be warranted if the added construction costs are not offset by energy savings. Some insulation materials might be toxic (such as asbestos) or environmentally hazardous (like foam with CFCs that can destroy the ozone layer). Based on the results of each group, what insulation might the class use to insulate a new house?
• (minutes 45-60) Administer the post-quiz.

conduction: Heat transfer within or between solid objects.

convection: Heat transfer into or out of fluids.

heat: Thermal energy that flows due to a difference in temperature. Heat flows from hot to cold.

heat transfer: A method by which heat flows (conduction, convection, radiation).

insulation: A material that slows down heat transfer.

radiation: Heat transfer due to packets of energy called photons that can travel through many substances, even empty space.

Pre-Activity Assessment

Heat Review and Activity Intro: On Day 1, have students answer the questions on the first two pages of the Keep It Hot! Handout . Glance at their answers to make sure their base knowledge of thermal energy, heat and heat transfer is adequate and correct.

Activity Embedded Assessment

Handout: On Days 2-4 have students complete the remainder of the handout, which includes answering questions about materials, recording data and answering the Results and Discussion questions.

Discussion: During the activity, students answer the questions provided on the handout. At key times, such as during the design process and after testing designs (see below), lead class discussions to review their answers and explore their understanding of the concepts. Answers are provided in the Keep It Hot! Post-Quiz Answer Key .

Prior to building (during the design process on Day 1):

• The goal is to prevent heat from leaving your bottle. What types of materials do you think would be good at this? List them below.
• Does the thickness of your insulation matter? Explain what you think would happen if you double the amount of insulation used on each bottle.

After testing designs (on Day 4):

• What material kept the water hottest? Is this what you expected?
• Did heat transfer occur faster or slower when the fan was turned on? (Expect that heat transfer occurred faster, as evidenced by the water temperature dropping more quickly with the fan turned on, especially in the bottle without insulation.)
• What kinds of heat transfer occurred when the fan was on? Explain where each type was occurring. (Conduction occurred through the wall of the bottle and through the insulation; forced convection occurred in the air surrounding the bottle.)
• What kinds of heat transfer occurred when the fan was off? (Conduction, as well as convection in the air of the surrounding bottle.)
• Suggest a modification you would make to your best insulation to reduce heat transfer even more. Would this change the cost of manufacturing your bottle?

Post-Activity Assessment

Post-Quiz: At activity end, administer the four-question multiple-choice Keep It Hot! Post-Quiz . Review students' answers to gauge their comprehension of the concepts.

Safety Issues

• To prevent burns, do not overheat the water, especially if microwaving. Check the water temperature!

Beakers may be used instead of closed topped bottles. In this case, hold the thermometer in the heated water by pushing them each through a Styrofoam plate placed on top of the beaker.

The activity can be modified to reduce the number of days required. Rather than having two separate testing days—with and without a fan—have half of the groups test with a fan and the rest of the groups test without a fan during one testing day. This approach also helps the two sides of the class to compare their results, facilitating the communication of their findings.

If beakers are used instead of closed topped bottles (as mentioned in the Troubleshooting Tips section), have students record the water temperature every 30 seconds during the 10-minute testing time. Once students have completed the two 10-minute testing sessions, have them graph the data for each tested beaker, water temperature vs. time. Make sure students clearly label the axes and create descriptive titles. It works well if students plot data for all the tested beakers on one graph, using different color markers or pencils to indicate data for each beaker and creating a color key. This process provides students with a better visual representation of heat flow.

After observing the results from initial testing, have students make further iterations to modify and test their bottle designs in order to implement improvements.

Have students apply their understanding of heat transfer to design and build ice chests or other insulated containers and test their effectiveness at keeping ice from melting when left overnight or for several hours.

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Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed by the Renewable Energy Systems Opportunity for Unified Research Collaboration and Education (RESOURCE) project in the College of Engineering under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. DGE 0948021. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: November 5, 2019