More Steps on Conduction, Convection and Radiation Experiment (Conduction, Convection and Radiation continued)
7. Using paper towels, absorb the moisture left by the ice cubes. Bring your boxes and your plate indoors.
8. Fill an ice tray with water and let it freeze in your freezer. Before it completely freezes, stick several toothpicks in the ice cubes so that they are sealed into the ice.
9. The next day (or the next sunny day), bring your boxes out at the same time as the day before. This time, put your ice cubes on toothpicks at the center of the box. Stick the toothpicks onto the foam or bubble wrap so it stands. If you are having a hard time getting the toothpicks to stand on bubble wrap, you can use a small piece of cork. At the same time, put a plate beside the boxes with a cube of ice on the plate.
10. Again mark the time and check on your ice every ten minutes. Which cube is melting faster? Take note of the time when the ice cubes melt completely and which one was first to melt completely.
The construction of the wooden box creates housing for your ice cubes. In the first box, you line it with Styrofoam in order to protect it from convection. The insulation slows down the process in which the sun moves the air in the box, thereby preventing heating through convection. In the second box, the metalized bubble wrap protects the cube from radiated heat or radiation. The insulation slows down the process in which the sun's rays radiate through the wood and melt the ice. Which type of insulation works better?
During the first trial, the ice was in the corner of the boxes, during the second trial it was in the center, and not physically touching the insulating material. Putting the ice cube in the center and on “stilts” helps protect it from convection. Did this method slow down the process of melting more than when the cubes were touching the insulating material?
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