Introduction to Thermal Energy
Emmett Wemp
Pre-Engineering
Pre-Engineering
Have you ever wondered what insulation actually is? Sure we all know it is in our attic and it keeps our house cool or warm, but why? How do we know how much is enough? Why is it pink? In this lesson we will attempt to answer some of these questions by asking ourselves the following Essential Question.
What makes a good insulator?
Objectives:
· Design, construct, and test recyclable insulation materials.
· Test and apply the relationship between R-values and recyclable insulation.
· Complete calculations for heat energy.
· Design, construct, and test recyclable insulation materials.
· Test and apply the relationship between R-values and recyclable insulation.
· Complete calculations for heat energy.
Concepts Addressed:
· Thermodynamics is the study of the effects of work, thermo energy, and energy on a system.
· Thermal energy can transfer via convection, conduction, or radiation.
· Material conductivity, resistance, and energy transfer can be calculated.
· Thermodynamics is the study of the effects of work, thermo energy, and energy on a system.
· Thermal energy can transfer via convection, conduction, or radiation.
· Material conductivity, resistance, and energy transfer can be calculated.
What are you doing?
In this lesson you will discover what causes heat energy to travel. Your job as an engineer is to determine how that energy is traveling, and stop it as best you can. You will find many resources available to you on this page. Ultimately you will determine how to make a good insulator and how to test it. Good luck!
Thermal Energy Notes
Use this video to take notes on how thermal energy is calculated, how it travels, and what variables you would be looking for.
Complete this notes sheet on thermal energy. You may use the video lesson or other resources, it is up to you. Submit a copy to be reviewed by your classmates to ensure quality and accuracy on your notes.
Thermal Energy Resources
Hyper Physics This has a lot of good info on thermodynamics.
Conduction Practice Problem 1
Practice Problem 2
Practice your skills:
Play with this simulation to see how heat travels from one material to another.
Conduction:
Use this worksheet from PhET to practice with the simulation above. You will get to see how Conduction works.
Use this worksheet from PhET to practice with the simulation above. You will get to see how Conduction works.
Virtual Experiment:
Review the Home Heating problem from above. Using that problem and information from your research, design a simple experiment to test the ability of a material to stop or slow heat loss from an enclosure. You might consider using the following materials in your experiment: thermometers, stopwatch, lamp, lunchbox, insulating materials, cardboard box, tablet apps, etc. This is a vague list, but I want to see what you design. You are NOT limited to the materials listed!
Create a video description, Prezi, powerpoint, or report on your experiment. Be sure to describe your process and how the experiment should be run including what tools you will need and why. Don't forget to defend your hypothesis about what you thing will happen. The experiment does not have to be run, but does have to be planned so that it could be run in an actual lab. Remember, have fun!
Create a video description, Prezi, powerpoint, or report on your experiment. Be sure to describe your process and how the experiment should be run including what tools you will need and why. Don't forget to defend your hypothesis about what you thing will happen. The experiment does not have to be run, but does have to be planned so that it could be run in an actual lab. Remember, have fun!
Use this RUBRIC to guide your development of your experiment.
Quiz Time!
Now that you have played with thermal energy transfer, it is time to see what you know. If you are ready, click HERE and complete the quiz on Thermal Energy. Don't forget to show your work. Good Luck!
Still Need Help?
Email me to set up a time, and we can conference live. Click this HERE to join the meeting when it is time.