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Radiation
Task with Student Directions
Contributed by: The RAND Institute (RAND)

Radiation Performance Assessment
"MESSING AROUND"
Group Activity Card



The Sunshine Construction Company has asked you, as skilled science students, for information on the following problem:

Find a way to accurately measure how quickly an object painted a certain color heats up.

To investigate this problem, your group will be able to use the following materials:

Your group should have the following materials: Your teacher will supply the entire class with the following materials:
  • 1 group answer sheet
  • 1 Celsius thermometer
  • 1 watch with second hand or stopwatch
  • 1 250- ml beaker
  • 1 400- ml beaker
  • 1 100-ml graduated cylinder
  • 1 test tube, painted blue
  • 1 test tube rack
  • 1 support stand and rod (ring stand)
  • 1 reflector lamp
  • 1 150- watt light bulb
  • 1 metric ruler
  • water supply from faucet or container labeled "tap Water."
  • safety goggles for every student
  • paper towels (or other drying material)


FACILITATOR: Before the group "messes around" with the equipment, ask each group member (including yourself) the questions below. Be sure that everyone answers a question before going on to the next question. Start with a different person each time you go to a new question. Your group's RECORDER will take brief notes on the GROUP ANSWER SHEET.

  1. What ideas do you have about how to measure how quickly the water heats up, using the equipment provided?
  2. Do you think it will make a difference where you hold the end of the thermometer in the test tube?
  3. How will you measure the rate of heating for the test tube? What units will you use?
  4. Do you think that the rate of heating will depend on how much water is in the test tube? If so, how?

After answering these questions, guide your group in "messing around" with the equipment. Try out as many of the group's ideas as possible.
CAUTION:
Avoid touching the Reflector lamp and the Light Bulb - they can get very hot!!! Also, if water hits the surface of the heated light bulb it may explode.

KEEP WATER AWAY FROM THE LAMP
AND WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES AT ALL TIMES !!!











Radiation Performance Assessment
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Student Instruction Sheet


You have recently been presented with a situation which can be approached scientifically. The Sunshine Construction Company has asked you, as a skilled science student, for information on the following problem:

Given a choice of buildings painted in one of three different colors, which color would do the best job of keeping the inside of the building from heating up quickly under the hot sun?

As explained earlier, the equipment available to investigate this problem includes:

  • 1 reflector lamp with a 150- watt light bulb
  • 3 test tubes, each painted a different color
  • 1 test tube rack
  • Tap water
  • 1 Celsius thermometer
  • 1 watch with second hand or stopwatch
  • Additional materials: beakers, graduated cylinder, 1 metric ruler, paper towels and safety goggles.

Your task is to design an experiment to solve the problem using this equipment. You must explain how to use the equipment to measure the rate of heating of water placed in the test tubes.

When instructed to do so, answer the questions on your Student Answer Sheet.

When the time is up, turn in this sheet and your Student Answer Sheet as directed by your instructor.



Radiation Performance Assessment
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Student Answer Sheet


TEAR OFF THIS PAGE


Read through this table carefully, and use it to help you write answers that are CLEAR, PRECISE, and COMPLETE.

GUIDING QUESTION(S) CAUTIONS
CLEAR WRITING DRAWING
  • Can another student understand what you've written or drawn?
  • Answer in complete sentences when appropriate
  • Avoid crowding
  • Erase completely
PRECISE WRITING DRAWING
  • Did you respond directly to the question?
  • Are your measurements exact?
  • Do not use words like "it" unless you're sure the reader knows what "it" refers to
  • Specify units
  • Use labels and arrows
  • specify units or dimensions
COMPLETE WRITING DRAWING
  • Did you respond to all parts of the question?
  • Have you included all the parts normally expected (e.g., of a graph)?
  • Assume that the reader knows only what you tell him or her
  • Lable/identify all parts and pieces





Radiation Performance Assessment
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Student Answer Sheet


Write your answers to the questions below in pencil. Feel free to go back and change your responses within the time allowed. Make sure all your answers are CLEAR, PRECISE, and COMPLETE!


You have been given the following problem:

Given a choice of buildings painted in one of three colors, which color would do the best job of keeping the inside of the building from heating up quickly under the hot sun?

The previous task gave you the opportunity to "mess around" with some equipment. For this task you need to design an experiment that uses the equipment on the Student Instruction Sheet to measure the RATE OF HEATING for Color A, Color B, and Color C. Your experiment should include at least one experimental trial for each color.

  1. In your own words, what would you be trying to find out in such an experiment? In other words, what would be the experiment's purpose?














  2. List at least three measurements or quantities you would be sure to keep the same for each trial in your experiment. (These are factors that you need to control or standardize.)









    Others:




  3. Think about how you would do a science experiment to investigate this problem. In the space below, write a set of directions that another student could follow to carry out your experiment. In addition to the guidelines given on the first page of this answer sheet, your directions should:
    • begin with a list/illustrations of the materials you will use
    • be a series of numbered steps (after the materials section)
    • have enough detail so that another student would know exactly what to do without extra help.
    • include illustrations where you feel they are appropriate















    MATERIALS:

    Continue your answer to Question 3 in the space below as needed. Otherwise, GO ON TO QUESTION 4 ON THE NEXT PAGE.







































  4. Draw a chart or table that you could use to record the data from your experiment. Make sure this chart or table allows you to organize the data so that you could compare the three different colors to one another.
























  5. In what units does your experiment measure rate of heating?



    __________ per ___________




Radiation Performance Assessment
RADIATION EXPERIMENT
Group Activity Card


The Sunshine Construction Company has asked you, as skilled science students, for information on the following problem:

Given a choice of buildings painted in one of three different colors, which color would do the best job of keeping the inside of the building from heating up quickly under the hot sun?

To investigate this problem, your group will be able to use the following materials:

Your group should have the following materials: Your teacher will supply the entire class with the following materials:
  • Student Data Sheets
    (1 for each group member)
  • 1 Celsius thermometer
  • 1 watch with second hand or stopwatch
  • 1 250- ml beaker
  • 1 400- ml beaker
  • 1 100-ml graduated cylinder
  • 3 test tubes, each a different color
  • 1 test tube rack
  • 1 support stand and rod (ring stand)
  • 1 reflector lamp
  • 1 150- watt light bulb
  • 1 metric ruler
  • 3 or more textbooks (to make platform for raising test tube rack)
  • water supply from faucet or container labeled "tap Water."
  • safety goggles for every student
  • paper towels (or other drying material)




Read through all of the instructions BEFORE beginning this experiment!

Complete the following steps when directed to do so by your instructor:

  1. Without any water, arrange the reflector Lamp (containing a 150 watt light bulb), support stand and rod, test tube rack with any single test tube, and textbooks as shown in Figure 1. Use textbooks to make sure that the middle of the test tube is at the same height as the center of the light bulb. So that they are not affected by the light from the bulb, keep the test tubes and the thermometer behind the lamp when not in use. Plug in the lamp, turn it on and off to make sure it works. Be careful not to shine the light in anyone's eyes and do not look directly into the bulb.

    Leave the lamp turned off for now.

    CAUTION:
    Avoid touching the Reflector Lamp and the light bulb - they can get very hot!!! Also, if water hits the surface of the heated light bulb it may explode.

    KEEP WATER AWAY FROM THE LAMP
    AND WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES AT ALL TIMES!!!











    TRIAL 1

  2. Place the yellow test tube in the center of the test tube rack (there should be no other test tubes in the rack). Measure 20 ml of room temperature water into this test tube.

  3. With the Reflector Lamp off, move the test tube rack so that there is a distance of 10 cm between the outside edge of the test tube and the outside edge of the round part of the light bulb (see Figure 2).

  4. Place the thermometer in this test tube and record the temperature of the water in the appropriate space of your Task 2A.4 Student Data Sheet.

  5. Turn the Reflector Lamp on and begin timing. Reaching from behind or to the side of the Reflector Lamp (see Figure 3), read the temperature every 30 seconds and record this information in the appropriate spaces.

  6. Turn the Reflector Lamp off. Empty the water from the test tube and place it upside down at either end of the test tube rack.

  7. Calculate the total change in temperature and record this number in the appropriate space.



    TRIAL 2

  8. Place the blue test tube in the center of the test tube rack. Measure 20 ml of room temperature water into this test tube.

  9. With the Reflector Lamp off, check to make sure that the distance between the outside edge of the test tube and the outside edge of the round part of the light bulb is still 10 cm (see Figure 2). Reposition the test tube rack if necessary.

  10. Place the thermometer in this test tube and record the temperature of the water in the appropriate space of your Task 2A.4 Student Data Sheet.

  11. Repeat steps 5-7 as in Trial 1.



    TRIAL 3

  12. Place the gray test tube in the center of the test tube rack. Measure 20 ml of room temperature water into this test tube.

  13. With the Reflector Lamp off, check to make sure that the distance between the outside edge of the test tube and the outside edge of the round part of the light bulb is still 10 cm (see Figure 2). Reposition the test tube rack if necessary.

  14. Place the thermometer in this test tube and record the temperature of the water in the appropriate space of your Task 2A.4 Student Data Sheet.

  15. Repeat steps 5-7 as in Trial 1.



When the time is up, turn in this sheet and your Student Data Sheet and clean and return your equipment as directed by your instructor.



Radiation Performance Assessment
Student Data Sheet



Table 1. Heating Trial Temperatures
TIME
(in seconds)
TRIAL 1
Yellow (in š C)
TRIAL 2
Blue (in š C)
TRIAL 1
Gray (in š C)
0 (starting)


30


60


90


120


150


180


210


240


270


300





Table 2. Summary

TRIAL 1
Yellow (in š C)
TRIAL 2
Blue (in š C)
TRIAL 1
Gray (in š C)
Total change in temperature (š C)


Rate of heating (š C per minute)






Radiation Performance Assessment
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
Student Data Sheet

Note: The results on this Sample Data Sheet are from an experiment similar to the one you performed, except that measurements were taken every 60 seconds instead of every 30 seconds.

Table 1. Heating Trial Temperatures
TIME
(in seconds)
TRIAL 1
Yellow
water volume
V=20 ml
TRIAL 2
Blue
water volume
V=20 ml
TRIAL 3
Gray
water volume
V=20 ml
TRIAL 4
Red
water volume
V=20 ml
TRIAL 5
Red
water volume
V=20 ml
TRIAL 6
Red
water volume
V=20 ml
0 (starting) š C š C š C š C š C š C
60 š C š C š C š C š C š C
120 š C š C š C š C š C š C
180 š C š C š C š C š C š C
240 š C š C š C š C š C š C
300 š C š C š C š C š C š C



Table 2. Total Change in Temperatures
TRIAL 1
Yellow
TRIAL 2
Blue
TRIAL 3
Gray
TRIAL 4
Red
TRIAL 5
Red
TRIAL 6
Red
š C š C š C š C š C š C





Radiation Performance Assessment
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
Student Data Sheet



TEAR OFF THIS PAGE.

Read through this table carefully, and use it to help you write answers that are CLEAR, PRECISE, and COMPLETE.


GUIDING QUESTION(S) CAUTIONS
CLEAR WRITING DRAWING
  • Can another student understand what you've written or drawn?
  • Answer in complete sentences when appropriate
  • Avoid crowding
  • Erase completely
PRECISE WRITING DRAWING
  • Did you respond directly to the question?
  • Are your measurements exact?
  • Do not use words like "it" unless you're sure the reader knows what "it" refers to
  • Specify units
  • Use labels and arrows
  • specify units or dimensions
COMPLETE WRITING DRAWING
  • Did you respond to all parts of the question?
  • Have you included all the parts normally expected (e.g., of a graph)?
  • Assume that the reader knows only what you tell him or her
  • Lable/identify all parts and pieces





Radiation Performance Assessment
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
Student Answer Sheet


Before starting, make sure you have the following materials: 1 Sample Data Sheet, 1 ruler, 1 ordinary pencil, and 1 set of colored pencils (minimum 3).


  1. Graph the results of Trials 1, 2, and 3 only as given on the Sample Data Sheet. Create a line graph on the grid below. Your graph should display data from these three trials on a single set of axes. Data from each trial should be displayed in a different color. YOU WILL BE GIVEN 15 MINUTES TO COMPLETE YOUR GRAPH. (If you finish your graph sooner, go on to the next question.)

    Title:







  2. Looking at your graph, describe how the rate of heating changed during each trial. Remember that your answers should be clear, precise, and complete.
    1. Trial 1:


    2. Trial 2:


    3. Trial 3:







  3. Temperature is measured in š C. Heat is measured in calories. One calorie is the energy gained or lost by 1 ml of liquid water when its temperature rises or falls by 1 š C. For example, if 2 ml of water rose 3 š C in temperature (  T=3 š C), then 6 calories would be gained. If 5 ml of water fell 2 š C (  T=-2 š C), then 10 calories would be lost. In the box below, write a formula for heat energy gained in calories.

    If Q is the heat energy gained in calories, and

     T is the total change in temperature in š C
    (see Table 2 on your Sample Data Sheet for an example of  T), and

    V is the volume in ml, then

    Q = ______________________

    (complete the equation using  T and V)



    Using this formula, calculate the heat gained by the water in the test tube for each of the 6 trials. Be sure to calculate the total heat gained during the five minutes when measurements were taken for each trial.

    Complete the following table as you do your calorie calculations:

    Table 3. Heat Gain Calculations
    Trial Color V  T Q
    1 Yellow


    2 Blue


    3 Gray


    4 Red


    5 Red


    6 Red





    1. Which of the six trials showed the greatest total change in temperature?


    2. What was the amount of that temperature change?



    1. Which of the six trials showed the greatest heat gain?


    2. What was the amount of that heat gain?



  4. What is a possible reason why different temperature changes were observed in Trials 4 and 6?





    1. Name two trials that you could compare to investigate the effect of volume of water in the test tube on the rate of heating.


      ____________________ and ____________________

    2. Why did you choose those two trials?









  5. From the sample data, what can you conclude about the effect of volume on rate of heating? Remember that your answer should be clear, precise, and complete.








    1. Now answer this question:

      Given a choice of buildings painted in one of three different colors, which color would do the best job of keeping the inside of the building cool under the hot sun - yellow, blue, or gray?



    2. What evidence is there that this color would be the best at keeping the inside of the building cool? Be specific. Consider information on the Sample Data Sheet, your graph, and the tables on this Answer Sheet. You may use graphs or illustrations as part of your answer. Remember that your answers should be clear, precise, and complete.

 

 


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