Gizmos: Heat Absorbtion

Last updated over 3 years ago

38 questions

Instructions

Link to this Gizmo
https://gizmos.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=655

Prior Knowledge/Warm Up

Shine a powerful flashlight on a variety of materials, and measure how quickly each material heats up. See how the light angle, light color, type of material, and material color affect heating. A glass cover can be added to simulate a greenhouse.

Link to this Gizmo
https://gizmos.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=655

Click on the correct answer

Is it usually hotter outside when the Sun is low in the sky, such as early in the morning, or when the Sun is high in the sky, around noon?

Click on the correct answer

If you want to stay cool on a hot, sunny day, should you wear black or white?

Gizmo Warm-up 
In the Heat Absorption Gizmo, a powerful flashlight can shine on a variety of materials. 
Make sure that the Light color is set to White.

Drag the Wood under the beam of light. What do you notice?

What is the color of the light that is reflected off the wooden block?

Click Play to start the clock

What happens to the temperature of the wood _______ 

The light that is not reflected away is absorbed by the wood. What does the absorbed light energy do to the wood? _______ 

Energy that is transmitted through space by light waves is called radiation. 
The wood gets hotter because it gains thermal energy from the light waves.

Activity A

Activity A

Angle of Light

Getting the Gizmo Ready

- Click Reset
- Check that the light color is set to White
- If necessary, drag the wood under the light

Observe:
Drag the flashlight to several different angles. When is the light beam most concentrated on the piece of wood?

Form hypothesis: 
Which angle will result in the coldest piece of wood? __________o

Predict:
Which angle will result in the hottest piece of wood? __________o

Experiment: For each angle listed below, record the final temperature of the wood after 3 hours of heating with the flashlight.

Final Temperature
20o angle.
_______ oC

Final Temperature
40o angle.
_______ oC

Final Temperature
60o angle.
_______ oC

Final Temperature
80o angle.
_______ oC

Final Temperature
90o angle.
_______ oC

Draw conclusions:
Why did increasing the angle of the beam of light cause the wood to heat up more?

Apply: St. Louis, Missouri, is located near the middle of the United States.
On June 21, the noon Sun rays hit St. Louis at an angle of 75°.
On December 21, the noon Sun rays hit at an angle of 28°.
How will this affect the temperature in St. Louis on these dates?

Activity B

Activity B

Colored Materials

Getting the Gizmo Ready

- Click reset
- Drag the Flashlight so that the light angle is 75o

Observe:
Drag the red brick under the flashlight beam. Try three different Light colors: red, blue, and green.

Red
Blue
Green

What color(s) reflect off a red brick?
What colors of light are absorbed by the brick?

Collect data: Heat the red, green, and blue bricks under each color of light. Record results.

Have the light at a 75o angle

Red Brick Final Temperatures

Red Light _______ oC
Blue Light _______ oC
Green Light _______ oC

Red brick 
reflects __________ light
and 
absorbs
__________ light

Green Brick Final Temperatures

Red Light _______ oC
Blue Light _______ oC
Green Light _______ oC

Green brick 
reflects __________ light
and absorbs __________ light

Blue Brick Final Temperatures

Red Light _______ oC
Blue Light _______ oC 
Green Light _______ oC

Blue brick 
reflects __________ light
and absorbs
__________ light

Extend your thinking:
White light is a combination of red, green, and blue light.
Why is it cooler to wear a white shirt on a sunny day than a black shirt?

Activity C

Activity C

Comparing Materials

Getting the Gizmo Ready

- Click reset
- Change the light color to white

Predict: In this activity, you will compare how metal, wood, water, and brick heat up.
Which substance do you think will heat up the most? __________
Which substance do you think will heat up the least? __________

Experiment: 
Using white light, heat up each of the following substances for 3 hours
Set angle to 75o
No Glass

For the change in temperature take
Final Temperature - Initial Temperature 

METAL

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (no glass cover): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

WOOD

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (no glass cover): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

WATER

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (no glass cover): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

BLACK BRICK

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (no glass cover): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

WHITE BRICK

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (no glass cover): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

Based on the results, which 2 substances do you think reflected the most light?

Metal  Wood Water Black Brick White Brick

Experiment: 
Using white light, heat up each of the following substances for 3 hours
Set angle to 75o
Click on Add glass cover 

For the change in temperature take
Final Temperature - Initial Temperature

METAL

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (under glass): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

WOOD

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (under glass): _______ oC

Change in temperature _______ oC

WATER

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (under glass): _______ oC

Change in Temperatire _______ oC

BLACK BRICK

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (under glass): _______ oC

Change in temperature _______ oC

WHITE BRICK

Inital Temperature: 20.0 oC

Final temperature (under glass): _______ oC

Change in temperature _______ oC

The glass cover made each substance heat up __________

Extend your thinking: Why is it dangerous to leave an infant or pet in a car on a sunny day with the windows rolled up?

Extra Credit

Gizmos: Heat Absorbtion

Click on the correct answer

Click on the correct answer

Drag the Wood under the beam of light. What do you notice?

What is the color of the light that is reflected off the wooden block?

Activity A

Angle of Light

Observe: Drag the flashlight to several different angles. When is the light beam most concentrated on the piece of wood?

Draw conclusions: Why did increasing the angle of the beam of light cause the wood to heat up more?

Apply: St. Louis, Missouri, is located near the middle of the United States. On June 21, the noon Sun rays hit St. Louis at an angle of 75°. On December 21, the noon Sun rays hit at an angle of 28°. How will this affect the temperature in St. Louis on these dates?

Activity B

Colored Materials

Observe:Drag the red brick under the flashlight beam. Try three different Light colors: red, blue, and green.

Extend your thinking: White light is a combination of red, green, and blue light. Why is it cooler to wear a white shirt on a sunny day than a black shirt?

Activity C

Comparing Materials

Based on the results, which 2 substances do you think reflected the most light?

Extend your thinking: Why is it dangerous to leave an infant or pet in a car on a sunny day with the windows rolled up?

Answer the 5 questions below the gizmo. Take a screenshot of your score and paste it below.

Observe:
Drag the flashlight to several different angles. When is the light beam most concentrated on the piece of wood?

Draw conclusions:
Why did increasing the angle of the beam of light cause the wood to heat up more?

Apply: St. Louis, Missouri, is located near the middle of the United States.
On June 21, the noon Sun rays hit St. Louis at an angle of 75°.
On December 21, the noon Sun rays hit at an angle of 28°.
How will this affect the temperature in St. Louis on these dates?

Observe:
Drag the red brick under the flashlight beam. Try three different Light colors: red, blue, and green.

Extend your thinking:
White light is a combination of red, green, and blue light.
Why is it cooler to wear a white shirt on a sunny day than a black shirt?