Thermal Insulation

• 1. Wrap glass beakers with different insulating materials
• 2. Boil water in a kettle and pour into the beakers
• 3. Record the initial temperature of the water in each beaker
• 4. Record how the temperature changes every few minutes
• Give examples of materials with insulation properties that can be tested using this method.

  • Newspaper ● Corrugated cardboard ● Bubble wrap ● Polystyrene ● Cotton wool ● Tin foil
• How can you secure the materials once wrapped around the beaker?

  Rubber Band
• Why do you leave one beaker with no insulation wrapped around it?

  To act as a control beaker. It can be used to compare the temperature drop of the water with and without insulation
• As well as wrapping the beaker with the insulation, what else should you do to insulate it?


  Cut out a circle for the lid of the beaker to reduce heat loss from the top. The lid should have a small hole for the thermometer to fit into
• What readings do you take and how frequently?

  You record the temperature of the water in fixed intervals of around 3 minutes.
• How can you compare the effectiveness of the different insulators?

  Compare the temperature change that has occured over a fixed interval of time. The smaller the temperature change, the more effective the insulator is.