Students compare how well two types of plastic cups keep drinks cold and investigate why one works better. They test features like lids and walls, use models to explore evaporation and energy transfer, and discover how light and surrounding air warm the drink. Through labs and simulations, they learn about conduction and particle movement, then use this knowledge to design and improve their own insulated cups.
Lessons
Lesson Set 1: How do some cup features close off the system to keep a drink cold or warm and why does it still warm up?
Lesson Set 2: How and why does energy from outside the system enter the cup system to warm up the cold water?
Lesson Set 3: How can we design a container to keep a substance cold?