The Week: 5/27 - 5/30

MYBH Quiz:

Fear not!  There will be a quiz later today.  We need to do some science first!

Friday's Science Challenge:

Today, I want to know if you can create a vessel that can insulate as well as a Dewar vessel.  Hopefully, you brought some sort of insulating material from home to make this work.  Since we only have six LabQuests, we can only do six tests today, so in your group, decide how you are going to insulate your container.  You can use one, some, or all of your materials.

Before you start, remember to record all of your data!!!  You only get one shot at this, so don't leave anything out.

First, we need a control.  How much does the temperature of ice water increase in room temperature air?  Here's what to do:

1. Get a 250 mL beaker.
2. Fill it with ice, then water so that the water level is exactly 250mL.  (The ice will float above the water, but when it melts, the water level stays the same.  When you measure it, be sure to measure the water level, not the ice level!)
3. Get a LabQuest and Stainless Steel Temperature Probe.
4. Turn on the LabQuest and plug in the probe.
5. Put the probe in the water.
6. Wait for the temperature to stop falling.
7. Record the starting temperature.
• Side note:  For the love of Science, please record everything.  Don't just write a number.  Write a degree sign.  Write the units you are using for measurement.  Write what you are measuring.  Is this with or without insulation?  How much water?  Is this the starting or ending temperature?  If you only write numbers, will it make sense later?
8. Set the duration to one hour (or 60 minutes) and the interval to one sample per minute.
9. Put the whole conglomeration out of the way so it doesn't get bumped.  (It will be sitting for an hour, remember?)
• Remember, this is a control.  There should be no insulation on your container this time!  We want to know how quickly ice water warms up without insulation!
10. Start recording.  Make sure a graph comes up.
11. At the end of the hour, record the ending temperature.  Save the graph.

Later today, we'll insulate our containers and repeat the process above.  There's one little trick I need to show you with the LabQuest first, so don't go ahead just yet.  (Hint:  We're going to put two graphs on the same screen!)

LabQuest Lessons:

• All LabQuest Lessons
• Lesson 2.1:  "Cool Reaction"

Tuesday's MYBH: