4th grade science fair
Coaster experiment: Conductors and Insulators
Many of us use coasters under our hot drinks to protect the surface underneath, but how do coasters get the job done? Coasters are good insulators of heat. This just means they prevent heat from getting through. In this experiment, we will be using five different coasters of different materials to test and see which one does the best job as a thermal insulator.
Creating your hypothesis
When creating your hypothesis, think about all the materials we are using. Which one do you think will do the best job as coaster? Make sure to do your background research on conductor and insulators.
Materials
1. Aluminum foil
2. Paper
3. Cardboard
4. Leather
5. Cork
6. scissors
7. Hot water
8. Measuring cups
9. 5 glasses
10. A flat surface like a table
11. Infrared thermometer
Are you getting ready for this project? Great! Then these links below to amazon should come in handy to check everything off your material list.
Cork coaster (https://amzn.to/2znziKx)
Leather coaster (https://amzn.to/2zozFEK) ßbeautifully decorative coasters!
Infrared thermometer (https://amzn.to/2QLrrNL)
Procedure
1. Cut a circle of aluminum foil to go under the glass as a coaster. Make sure its a little bigger than the bottom of your glass
2. Repeat step 1 with paper
3. Repeat step 1 with cardboard
4. Measure half a glass of water in all five of your glasses. The amount should be half a glass, so amount of water just depends on your glass size. A measuring cup is recommended to get an equal amount of liquid in each glass.
5. Heat all glasses of water in a microwave for an equal amount of time
6. Find a flat surface for conducting this experiment and measure the temperature of the surface. Record it as the starting temperature of the surface
7. Now, place all of your coasters in a row on top of a flat surface
8. Place a glass on each of the coasters. Let them sit for about 5 minutes
9. Using the infrared thermometer, measure the temperature of the surface under each of the glasses and coasters. Record all of the temperatures down in respect to the type of coaster it was under
Conclusion
Which coaster's material was the best insulator? What was the surface’s temperature underneath that coaster? What was your hypothesis, and was it proven correct or not?
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