Stop Heat from Escaping: Testing Insulation Materials
One way to conserve energy in a building is to use adequate insulation to help keep hot or cool air inside or outside of the structure. Inefficient heating and cooling of buildings is a leading residential and industrial source of wasteful energy use. In this activity, student groups conduct a scientific experiment to help an engineering team determine which type of insulation conserves the most energy—a comparison of newspaper, wool, aluminum foil and thin plastic. They learn about different kinds of insulation materials and that insulation prevents the transfer of heat, electricity or sound. Student teams collect data and make calculations, then compare and discuss their results. A student worksheet is provided.
Students learn how insulation works and its importance.Copyright 2009 Cdpweb161, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WALLTITE_spray_foam_insulation_being_applied.jpg
The heating and cooling of buildings uses a lot of energy, so engineers continually look for creative ways to reduce the heating and cooling demands, and thus the total amount of energy required. One way to do this is by using insulation. Engineers have developed many types of insulation such as fiberglass, rock wool, mineral wool, natural wool, cotton, straw, cellulose, paper, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, polyester and soy foam. Some insulating materials are also suitable for sound proofing.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe how insulation works.
- Demonstrate how some materials insulate better than others.
- Relate effective insulation with energy conservation.
- Describe how energy engineers use insulation in product design.