Heat energy in the home
Course outline
Theme 1: Heat at the particle level
Key ideas of theme
- When particles are heated, they move more and their vibrations transfer energy to their neighbours.
- Heat causes particles to spread out, lowering density.
- Radiation doesn’t need a medium; it can travel through space and a vacuum.
- Conduction and convection need a medium; particles transfer the energy.
- Convection involves currents.
- Heat energy moves from hot to cold.
- Models can be used to clarify abstract concepts.
Achievement objectives
- NoS Understanding about science:
- Understand that scientists’ investigations are informed by current scientific theories and aim to collect evidence that will be interpreted through processes of logical argument.
- NoS Investigating in science:
- Develop and carry out more complex investigations, including using models.
- Show an increasing awareness of the complexity of working scientifically, including recognition of multiple variables.
- NoS Participating and contributing:
- Develop an understanding of socio-scientific issues by gathering relevant scientific information in order to draw evidence-based conclusions and to take action where appropriate.
Possible activities
- Investigate change in the circumference of a balloon in the freezer and hot water, and relate your observations to what scientists know about heat and particles.
- Explore and model how a thermometer works (this activity introduces temperature and the expansion of materials with heat).
- Practically investigate:
- conduction – heat wax on different metal bars to compare conductivity
- convection – observe tea leaves in a glass teapot of hot water
- radiation – compare heat loss in black, white, and silver cans.
- Two tall glass gas jars are filled with hot and cold water of different colours. Students first predict what will happen when the two are mixed, then observe what happens and explain it.
- Students investigate the specific heat capacity of land versus the sea, including the effect of wind. This activity can be related to the local coast and can also lead to an exploration of convection currents.
- Students investigate specific heat capacity by putting water in a balloon and heating it to boiling point over a tea-light candle.
- Consider the big bang theory – Earth’s core is still cooling, so conduction and convection keep the planet turning.
- Investigate the evidence that ocean currents in the Southern Ocean are driven by density changes at the poles that result from changes in temperature.
- Explore how extremophile organisms adapt to cope with temperature changes in a desert such as the Desert Rd area near Mt Ruapehu.
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Theme 2: The significance of insulation in homes
Key ideas of theme
- A body loses or gains heat through conduction and convection.
- Models can be used to investigate abstract concepts.
- We use a range of strategies to reduce heat loss from conduction or convection.
- How insulation works (creating a vacuum, preventing conduction, using a heat trap, etc).
- Houses can be designed to collect residual heat.
Achievement objectives
- NoS Understanding about science:
- Understand that scientists’ investigations are informed by current scientific theories and aim to collect evidence that will be interpreted through processes of logical argument.
- NoS Investigating in science:
- Develop and carry out more complex investigations, including using models.
- Show an increasing awareness of the complexity of working scientifically, including recognition of multiple variables.
- NoS Communicating in science:
- Apply their understandings of science to evaluate both popular and scientific texts (including visual and numerical literacy).
- NoS Participating and contributing:
- Develop an understanding of socio-scientific issues by gathering relevant scientific information in order to draw evidence-based conclusions and to take action where appropriate.
Possible activities
- Use an infrared thermometer to investigate the temperature of surfaces. How can “cold” metal and “warm” fabric have the same temperature?
- Use models to investigate energy loss (for example, exploring convective cooling with differently insulated cans and wet and dry tubes).
- Apply ideas about heat loss to curtains, double-glazing, carpets, Batts.
- Research insulation information using the Energywise website, an energy company’s website, the Science Learning Hub, and the Futureintech website.
- Investigate the heat loss from your own home or marae and come up with recommendations for reducing the loss.
- Design and construct a model of an eco-whare or fale. Explain your design strategies.
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Theme 3: The effects of wind chill; preventing hypothermia
Key idea of theme
- Wind affects the temperature of the body through evaporative cooling.
Achievement objectives
- NoS Understanding about science:
- Understand that scientists’ investigations are informed by current scientific theories and aim to collect evidence that will be interpreted through processes of logical argument.
- NoS Investigating in science:
- Develop and carry out more complex investigations, including using models.
- NoS Communicating in science:
- Apply their understandings of science to evaluate both popular and scientific texts (including visual and numerical literacy).
Possible activities
- Experience and explain the effect of methylated spirits on the back of hand; blow on it. Relate this to sweating and wind chill.
- Relate this activity to the previous experiments on insulation. What kind of fabric should be used for clothes for tramping or waka ama?
- A paramedic visits the class to discusses hypothermia.
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Theme 4: Radiation – heat from the sun
Key ideas of theme
- Radiation doesn’t need a medium – it can travel through space/a vacuum.
- Models can be used to investigate abstract concepts.
- Tama-nui-te-Rā, the sun, plays a critical role in relation to life on Earth.
- The movement of the Earth causes the seasons.
Achievement objectives
- NoS Understanding about science:
- Understand that scientists’ investigations are informed by current scientific theories and aim to collect evidence that will be interpreted through processes of logical argument.
- NoS Investigating in science:
- Develop and carry out more complex investigations, including using models.
- Show an increasing awareness of the complexity of working scientifically, including recognition of multiple variables.
- Begin to evaluate the suitability of the investigative methods chosen.
- NoS Communicating in science:
- Apply their understandings of science to evaluate both popular and scientific texts (including visual and numerical literacy).
Possible activities
- Explore the source of the sun’s energy – nuclear fusion (for example, using the context of the story “Maui and Tama-nui-te-Rā”).
- Compare solar energy to nuclear power generation on Earth.
- Find out how scientists know all these things about the sun if we cannot physically go there and measure.
- Research the
Goldilocks zone.
- Investigate the seasons by:
- modelling the movements of the sun and the Earth in relation to each other – use a torch to model the effects on surface areas
- measuring the effect of sun angle on heating effect – collect data to support the theory.
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Theme 5: Solar water heating as an application of the sun’s energy
Key idea of theme
- Silver reflects radiant energy; black absorbs radiant energy.
Achievement objectives
- NoS Understanding about science:
- Understand that scientists’ investigations are informed by current scientific theories and aim to collect evidence that will be interpreted through processes of logical argument.
- NoS Investigating in science:
- Develop and carry out more complex investigations, including using models.
- Show an increasing awareness of the complexity of working scientifically, including recognition of multiple variables.
Possible activities
- Using black, silver, and white cans, investigate which coloured cans heat or cool the fastest. Explain your results.
- Use and analyse the design of a solar water heater intended for camping.
- Collect evidence to decide if solar heating would be a cost-efficient way to heat your home or marae.
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Theme 6: Investigating other applications of heating ideas
Key idea of theme
- Science ideas are determined by the specific application chosen.
Achievement objectives
- NoS Understanding about science:
- Understand that scientists’ investigations are informed by current scientific theories and aim to collect evidence that will be interpreted through processes of logical argument.
- NoS Investigating in science:
- Develop and carry out more complex investigations, including using models.
- Show an increasing awareness of the complexity of working scientifically, including recognition of multiple variables.
- Begin to evaluate the suitability of the investigative methods chosen.
Possible activities
- Investigate/research an everyday application of heating, such as:
- an electric kettle (why is the element at the bottom?)
- a vacuum flask
- cooking kai in Rotorua hot pools
- cooking kai in hāngi, umu, pāwhara, and maroke
- double or triple glazing
- a refrigerator, heat pump, or hot water cylinder
- a car radiator
- rooftop solar water heating
- an open fire versus a modern wood burner
- an oven or microwave.
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Possible assessments
The unit could be modified to allow learning to be assessed using any of the following standards:
- AS90943 Science 1.4: Investigate the implications of heat for everyday life (4 credits, internal)
- AS90936 Physics 1.2: Demonstrate understanding of the physics of an application (2 credits, internal)
- AS90939 Physics 1.5: Demonstrate understanding of aspects of heat (4 credits, external)
Last updated December 17, 2012
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