Flying Too High
In this exploration students use wax crayons to explore heat created by the sun.
Getting Started:
Read one or both of these stories. Do the experiments. Then reread the story to decide if you think the events are really possible based on your experiences. Why or why not? Write about your experiences and your conclusion about the story in your journal.
Flying Too High--Warning to Icarus Story
How Hot Is It In a Parked Car? Story
Materials Required:
• Plastic baggies
• Crayons
• Colored paper
• Aluminum foil
• The sun!
• Journal
Procedure:
1. Set up a series of plastic bags with crayons as shown in the picture below:
In one bag place a background of white paper, in another dark paper, and in a third, foil. Place a crayon in each bag and add some air in the bag.
2. Place these in the sun light and check every 15 minutes for an hour (4 times). Press lightly on the crayons to see if they are softening (melting)
3. Make a data chart to collect your observations:
4. Your crayons have wax in them and here is what happened to our crayons:
Our crayon with the white background did not melt very fast.
The crayon with the foil backing melted into a liquid!
Questions:
1. Which one of your crayons melted fastest? What was the kind of background in your plastic bag?
2, How do you think the background color effects the heat absorbed by the sun?
3. If you were Icarus, what color would you have painted the wax on your wings?