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Experiments in HEAT LOSS

experiment 1 diagramEXPERIMENT 1

In Experiment 1, you are measuring the BASE CASE. That means that you will find out the basic way your Energy House works that you can compare all the future experiments to.

the Steps...

1. Make the house model. For this experiment, don't cut out any windows.

2. Fill the can with hot water, place it in the house and put on the ceiling. The can of hot water is the furnace of the Energy House. It heats up the inside of the house, and you measure how long it takes for the Energy House to get cold again.

REMEMBER, always use the same temperature water at the start of each experiment, and fill the can with exactly the same amount of water each time.

Then, decide if you're going to check the temperature every 15 minutes or 20 minutes. It doesn't matter which, but once you choose then you need to always do it the same way for all the experiments. Otherwise when you graph your results, it won't make much sense

3. Graph the temperatures. To learn about making a graph, click here

experiment 2 diagramEXPERIMENT 2

Experiment 2 makes the Energy House more realistic, because no house is without windows! But windows do lose heat. Compare to experiment 1.

the Steps...

  1. Cut window and door openings. Remember to leave a hinge for the door; don't cut all the way around. Cut one set of plastic windows and tape them in place.
  2. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. Keep the door closed.
  3. Put the thermometer in. place the "bulb" part of the thermometer inside the Energy House, and keep the part with the numbers out where you easily can read them.
  4. Graph the temperatures, and compare them to Experiment 1.

Things to notice....

Did the windows fog up? If they did, why do you think they did?

a WORD that architects use...

CONDENSATION is what the fog on the windows is called. It's water droplets that come from moist air.

experiment 3 diagramEXPERIMENT 3

Another unrealistic situation -- a house with no windows! But to make a point, which is that insulation saves heat.

the Steps...

  1. Cut insulation panels for the walls and ceiling, but don't cut out the windows yet.
  2. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop.
  3. Graph the temperatures, and compare them to Experiment 1.

Things to notice....

Did the Energy House stay warmer longer? Do you think insulation stops heat from getting out of the house, or just slows it down?

On to more Energy House Experiments!

Experiments 1, 2 and 3 | 4, 5 and 6 | 7, 8 and 9 | 10, 11 and 12

Want a copy to print out? Click here

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