To conduct this experiment, I used some random materials I had lying around in my kitchen. I used styrofoam, aluminum foil, a cloth (used to wash dishes), and a piece of plastic. I chose styrofoam because I know it can serve as a great insulator for cups of hot coffee. I did realize, however, that in this experiment, the hot water was in a mug and the styrofoam was only used as a cover. I knew going into the experiment that this meant the styrofoam may not perform at the level I thought it could have as an insulator. I chose aluminum foil because I know I have used aluminum to cook and I can touch it almost immediately after removing it from a heat source, showing its ability to resist changes in temperature.
I used four mugs (unfortunately I did not have four completely identical mugs) and filled each with one cup of water that had been heated in the microwave for forty-five seconds. Each mug of water measured at one hundred and six degrees Fahrenheit prior to being covered. The styrofoam posed a problem because it was a plate. I was unable to secure it with a rubber band over the top of the mug.
Results:
Styrofoam began at 106 degrees, ended at 82 degrees (-24)
Aluminum foil began at 106 degrees, ended at 90 degrees (-16)
Cloth began at 106 degrees, ended at 88 degrees (-18)
Platic began at 106 degrees, ended at 92 degrees (14)
If I were to set this experiment up for students in my lab, I would keep the guided-inquiry format. I would give them the problem to solve, which is to determine which material makes the best insulator. I would provide them with a wide variety of supplies and materials and let them design the set-up themselves. They would hopefully realize the value of changing only one variable at a time. This means they would have to use the same object to hold the heated material and keep the temperature constant at the start for each test. They would have to keep the time constant as well as the location of the mugs.
To make the experiment more relevant to their lives, I would have them do a follow up activity based on one of the following prompts:
-You are a product designer that is in charge of coming up with a new line of pots and pans that will heat substances the fastest. What type of material would you use in your design and why?
-You work for a major fast food corporation and are given the task of redesigning the coffee cups so that they keep the coffee warmer longer. What materials would you use and why? Would this be cost effective?
-You are about to invest in a reusable beverage container. You will use it for both hot and cold beverages. Which container will you purchase and why?
I would like students to walk away from the experiment feeling like they learned something practical that they could take with them from day to day in their own lives. The information they gathered can be useful to them as consumers later in life. I also would like my studnets to come away from this activity feeling as though they played a major part in the design of the experiment. This should make them proud of their results and confident when sharing them with others.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Engaging in Guided Inquiry: Week 2
"What is the effect of large objects colliding with smaller objects?"
To conduct my experiment, I decided to use some toy trucks in my son's room to demonstrate the effects of size on collision. He has a lot of trucks of varying sizes to choose from. I took the trucks downstairs to the hardwood floors for some tests. I selected an area of the floor that was bare with no furniture or toys in the way. I started by taking two identical trucks. I pushed them into each other and observed that they each bounced backwards slightly after colliding. Next, I took a new, larger truck and repeated the procedure. This time, the larger truck collided with the smaller truck and the smaller truck bounced backwards further than the larger truck did. I repeated this several times and saw the same results. Next, I took a much larger truck and repeated the procedure several times. Each time, the results were the same. The smaller truck bounced backwards with a much greater force than the previous experiment. As the bigger truck got larger, the smaller truck was pushed back more. I kept measurements of the distance the smaller truck was pushed with each trial.
Overall, I did get the results I was expecting. The experiment itself worked fine. The only concerns I have about it would be the actual act of pushing the trucks into each other. There was no way for me to measure the force of my push each time. I tried to be consistent with the force I used, but if someone else were to replicate the experiment, it may not show the same results. I am confident the trend will be the same, however. My six year-old son enjoyed watching me and even did it himself after I was done.
This experiment could be modified by have truck standing still while the other collides with it. The larger truck could be released from the top of a stationary ramp to ensure that the speed is the same with each collision. This would keep that constant.
If I were to do this in the classroom, I would allow my students to design their own experiment given the problem stated at the beginning of the post. I would do this so that they could show their creativity and watch them design their own experiment. I think this really stretches their minds and gets them to think like scientists, and even engineers! I would need to be sure to have plenty of supplies available to them because they would probably come up with a lot of different ideas. I am sure some of them will give me new ideas that I have never thought of!
To make it more interesting, I might give them several problems to solve, like we did in our bumper cars activity in Newton's Amusement Land for week one. This would change the scenario slightly and they could continue to use similar supplies.
I would like for my students to learn about Newton's Laws from this experiment. I would also like them to learn about the design process when it comes to setting up experiments. They would be given the opportunity to design something and test it on their own. I think I will achieve my goal with this lesson.
To conduct my experiment, I decided to use some toy trucks in my son's room to demonstrate the effects of size on collision. He has a lot of trucks of varying sizes to choose from. I took the trucks downstairs to the hardwood floors for some tests. I selected an area of the floor that was bare with no furniture or toys in the way. I started by taking two identical trucks. I pushed them into each other and observed that they each bounced backwards slightly after colliding. Next, I took a new, larger truck and repeated the procedure. This time, the larger truck collided with the smaller truck and the smaller truck bounced backwards further than the larger truck did. I repeated this several times and saw the same results. Next, I took a much larger truck and repeated the procedure several times. Each time, the results were the same. The smaller truck bounced backwards with a much greater force than the previous experiment. As the bigger truck got larger, the smaller truck was pushed back more. I kept measurements of the distance the smaller truck was pushed with each trial.
Overall, I did get the results I was expecting. The experiment itself worked fine. The only concerns I have about it would be the actual act of pushing the trucks into each other. There was no way for me to measure the force of my push each time. I tried to be consistent with the force I used, but if someone else were to replicate the experiment, it may not show the same results. I am confident the trend will be the same, however. My six year-old son enjoyed watching me and even did it himself after I was done.
This experiment could be modified by have truck standing still while the other collides with it. The larger truck could be released from the top of a stationary ramp to ensure that the speed is the same with each collision. This would keep that constant.
If I were to do this in the classroom, I would allow my students to design their own experiment given the problem stated at the beginning of the post. I would do this so that they could show their creativity and watch them design their own experiment. I think this really stretches their minds and gets them to think like scientists, and even engineers! I would need to be sure to have plenty of supplies available to them because they would probably come up with a lot of different ideas. I am sure some of them will give me new ideas that I have never thought of!
To make it more interesting, I might give them several problems to solve, like we did in our bumper cars activity in Newton's Amusement Land for week one. This would change the scenario slightly and they could continue to use similar supplies.
I would like for my students to learn about Newton's Laws from this experiment. I would also like them to learn about the design process when it comes to setting up experiments. They would be given the opportunity to design something and test it on their own. I think I will achieve my goal with this lesson.
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