Education Technology


A Day at the Beach

Activity Overview

Students compare the heating rates of wet sand and dry sand and study the effect of evaporation on heating rates. They create, interpret and analyze graphs of data. They also relate slope to rate of change.

Key Steps

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    In this activity, students will compare the temperatures inside a soda can that has been painted black, silver, or white. They will use the temperature sensor to collect the temperature of the cans sitting under a heat lamp every 30 seconds for 10 minutes. This will allow them to see how different colors, such as clothing, react to a heat source like the sun.

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    Students will record the data they have collected and then graph it as a connected scatter plot. Using the scatter plot students will analyze how which color is the best solar collector and which color reflected the best.