Lesson 22: Building an Insulator: Test

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Grab two ice cubes.  One will be to test your insulator, and one will be your “control” cube. This will help you see the difference between a cube being inside your insulator and being outside your insulator.

When you are ready, place one ice cube in your container. And place the second ice cube in a bowl outside of your container. If possible, take a picture of the two ice cubes at the beginning to remind yourself of what they look like.

Set your insulator and your control cube beside each other, on a small table or blanket in a sunny spot. Set a timer for 90 minutes (or use a clock and record the start time). Check both of your ice cubes every 5-10 minutes to see what changes are happening.

After 90 minutes, look at both ice cubes and record the results in your science journal.

Use the guiding questions below.

• What do the two ice cubes look like after 90 minutes? If possible, take a picture.
• Did the cube in the container melt as much as the cube that was not in the container?
• Examine your container. Are there any places where air or heat is getting into their container?
• Are there any changes you want to make to your container?
• Other materials you want to try?
• If you could redesign your container, what would you do and why?