Holding Heat Lab
Temperature Condition
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Beginning
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In sunlamp/sunlight
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In shade
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1. Which object held the most thermal energy at the beginning of this activity?
The bag of air
2. Which object absorbed the most thermal energy from the sunlamp?
They both got the same amount of energy because the bag of air has low specific heat while the bag of water has high specific heat.
3. Describe what you observed about each bag after it had been sitting in the sunlamp/sunlight. What has occurred?
In the bag of water, the temperature of the water barely changed, an increase of only 2 degrees, and the temperature of the bag of air increased more than the bag of water, with an increase of 11 degrees. Radiation heats up the bags.
4. Which object retained the most thermal energy from the sun after sitting in the shade?
The bag of water because the temperature didn't change. (high specific heat)
5. If the bag of water represents the sun-heated ocean, what does this model show about the effect of warm water currents on coastal areas?
Warmer water currents bring warmer weather-more heat to the coastal areas.
6. If in the conduction activity, the metal container had been filled with sun-warmed water, what could have been the flow of thermal energy?
If the container were to have been filled with warm water, then the temperature of the container would rise, while the temperature of the water cooled down, meeting at a certain temperature at some point.
7. Why is Galveston, Texas typically cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter than Houston, Texas?o
Because Galveston is near the coast, which gives off heat during the summer and in the winter, unlike Houston. The water takes away the heat and gives off heat.
8. Why do coastal areas typically experience more rainfall than inland areas?
Because when land and water bodies meet, there is a lot of precipitation, therefore clouds are formed and rain/sleet/ice/snow falls.
The bag of air
2. Which object absorbed the most thermal energy from the sunlamp?
They both got the same amount of energy because the bag of air has low specific heat while the bag of water has high specific heat.
3. Describe what you observed about each bag after it had been sitting in the sunlamp/sunlight. What has occurred?
In the bag of water, the temperature of the water barely changed, an increase of only 2 degrees, and the temperature of the bag of air increased more than the bag of water, with an increase of 11 degrees. Radiation heats up the bags.
4. Which object retained the most thermal energy from the sun after sitting in the shade?
The bag of water because the temperature didn't change. (high specific heat)
5. If the bag of water represents the sun-heated ocean, what does this model show about the effect of warm water currents on coastal areas?
Warmer water currents bring warmer weather-more heat to the coastal areas.
6. If in the conduction activity, the metal container had been filled with sun-warmed water, what could have been the flow of thermal energy?
If the container were to have been filled with warm water, then the temperature of the container would rise, while the temperature of the water cooled down, meeting at a certain temperature at some point.
7. Why is Galveston, Texas typically cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter than Houston, Texas?o
Because Galveston is near the coast, which gives off heat during the summer and in the winter, unlike Houston. The water takes away the heat and gives off heat.
8. Why do coastal areas typically experience more rainfall than inland areas?
Because when land and water bodies meet, there is a lot of precipitation, therefore clouds are formed and rain/sleet/ice/snow falls.