Investigating Conductors and Insulators

Learning Objective:

• Investigate which materials are good insulators of heat.

Method:

• Set up your boiling tubes: leave one unwrapped and wrap each of the others in a different material, using elastic bands or tape to hold the material in place. Try to make the different wrappings roughly the same thickness.
• Prepare lids for the containers, made out of the same material as the wrapping, if possible, otherwise made from aluminium foil or cling film.
• Make a hole in each lid which is just big enough for the thermometer to fit through.
• Use the measuring cylinder to pour 20ml of hot water into each boiling tube.
• Put the lids onto the containers, with a thermometer fitted through each lid so that it rests near the bottom of the water.
• Start the stopwatch and measure the starting temperature of the water.
• After 15 minutes, measure the temperature of the water in each beaker.