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Engee's Energy Lab

Join Engee in his lab to learn more about energy and energy efficiency. Please ask an adult for permission before you begin. We suggest you work with an adult in case you need help.

Insulation and the great escape

From the moment you turn on your furnace or air conditioner, hot or cold air tries to escape to the outdoors. Heat escaping to the outdoors is very inefficient. Your furnace works hard to heat the home and warm air just slips out through the roof or the walls. What a waste of energy!

Insulation to the rescue! Insulation is a material which slows down the movement of heat. Your home and school are insulated. It’s usually in the attic and behind the wall. It helps keep the heat in during winter.
 

What you need down jacket gloves/mittens cotton sock wool sock other types of cloth or clothing plastic foam dirt paper aluminum foil leaves baby food jars with lids -- one for each of the different materials you'll be checking. large board to place all your items on -- a large tray will work too! gallon jug of warm water (as warm as shower water) thermometer note book and pencil

How to do it

• On a page in the notebook, list all of the different items you'll be testing
• Quickly fill all the baby jars with hot water from the jug.
• Measure the temperature of the water in each jar with the thermometer, then screw on the lid. Record the temperature of each jar in your notebook. They should all be the same temperature.
• Wrap or surround each of the jars in one of the materials. Place the jars on the tray or board. Leave one jar uncovered as a control.
• Place the board or tray in the fridge.
• After leaving the jars in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, remove the materials, unscrew the lids and measure the temperature of the water in each jar. Write down the temperature in your notebook next to each item.
• Compare the differences between the temperatures of each of the jars. Which one(s) kept the water the same temperature as before?
• Try the experiment again, but this time, leave the jars in the fridge longer (one, two, three hours or more). What materials work better? Is there a point where none of the materials works to keep the jars hot?

Engee says you'll learn how insulation works. Some materials make better insulators than others. This experiment can tell you what materials will keep our bodies warm in the winter. For example, would a jacket made of down be better than a jacket made from cotton? Will wool socks keep your feet warmer than cotton socks in the winter? Should you switch in the summer because one type of material will help you stay cooler?