Conductivity and Heat Capacity: Misconceptions about Temperature (Kari Kelly)
Author
Kari Kelly
Principle(s) Illustrated
Temperature
Heat Capacity
Heat and Conductivity
NGSS Standards
4-PS3-2.
4-PS3-3.
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.
Questioning Script
Materials
Metal object
Paper object
Plastic object
Infrared Thermometer
At least 2 ice cubes (same size is preferable)
Procedure
Hand each student a metal object and a paper object and ask them which is the warmer of the two.
Ask them to reason through their response with a partner and then share their consensus aloud.
Use infrared thermometer to take temperature readings for both objects and demonstrate that they are the same temperature.
Ask students to reason through a new explanation using new information, come to a consensus and share aloud.
Ask students to predict which ice cube will melt faster when placed on the two materials and rationalize their prediction.
Demonstrate the difference in melting rate to students.
Ask students to reason through a new explanation using the new information, come to a conclusion and share.
Prior knowledge & experience:
According to their experience, students know that some materials feel hotter or colder under the same temperature conditions. Students know that leather and metal seats are too hot to sit on when in the direct sun, but that plastic chairs don't feel as hot.
Root question:
Given two different materials under the same temperature conditions, is one hotter?
Target response:
All materials under the same conditions will register the same temperature, but gain or lose heat at different rates.
Common Misconceptions:
Some materials (like metals) have inherently different temperatures than other materials (like wood or plastic) even though they're in the same environment. For example, metal objects get either hotter or colder than wood or paper even though they're in the same temperature environment.
Photographs and Movies
