Test Variables

Test variables are things you want to change, in order to find the answer to your question. Here are the things that I am going to change:

• Type of material
• Layers of material

Constant Variables

Constant variables are things you need to keep the same in order for the experiment to be a fair test. Here are the things that I will need to keep the same:

• Starting water temperature
• Room temperature
• Time before checking temperature
• Size of container

Measured variable

The measured variable is the things you are looking for that will help you answer your question.

To answer my question, I will need to look at the temperatures of each container of water.

Variables

Since the post on May 15th (titled Experiment ideas), I have come to realise that I do not need to test each material with cold water as well as hot water. This is because the insulation is doing the same thing in each of the experiments - stopping the heat flow. So, it doesn't matter whether it is stopping the heat from getting in or getting out, it will be stopping the same amount of heat from getting through.

Instead, I am thinking of testing the materials by itself, and with two layers. This is because one material may not work very well on its own, but when there is two layers, it may work extremely well.

Also, I can combine two different layers together, and see whether is produces a better result. For instance, I can wrap the Pink Batts insulation around first, and then wrap the Thermakraft insulation foil. I can then compare that with the other combinations.

Aim & Hypothesis

Aim:
Which insulation material is most effective at stopping the heat flow?

Hypothesis:
I predict the Thermakraft insulation foil will resist the most heat because the foil can reflect up to 95% of radiated heat.

Thermakraft

This logo seem familiar? You may have seen it on many houses under construction. This is the logo of Thermakraft. I have done some research and I have found some facts about Thermakraft. The foil that I have got will reflect around 95% of radiated heat! It also prevents damage by moisture. For more information about Thermakraft, just go to:
http://www.thermakraft.co.nz/

Pink Batts

I have looked for some information on Pink Batts, and I have made a few discoveries. Pink Batts insulation works by trapping millions of tiny pockets of air inside it. This trapped air is held still and not allowed to move, creating a barrier to heat transfer. Did you know, Pink Batts products have been given the “big tick” by Environmental Choice New Zealand. Manufacturing ingredients are using up to 80% recycled glass! Also, the material that I have may cause some minor skin irritation, so I should wear some gloves when handling it. For more information about Pink Batts, go to the site: http://www.pinkbatts.co.nz/

Visit to Place Makers

Today, I went over to Place Makers to have a look at the types of insulation they have over there. The main brand of insulation they had over there was Pink Batts, but they also had polystyrene, etc. Unfortunately, they too, sold their insulation in huge rolls and did not have any spare pieces of material. So, unfortunately, I couldn't get any material from there either.

So, we went over to my grandparents' house. Since it was newly built, there were still extra pieces of insulation. There, I found Pink Batts and some Thermakraft insulation foil.

Also, I am thinking of testing some polystyrene.

Visit to Bunnings Warehouse

Hello again! Today, I went over to Bunnings Warehouse to check out what types of insulation they have there.

One of the main brands of insulation I saw there was Thermakraft. I also saw a whole variety of different types of insulation, from room insulation, to floor insulation, to polystyrene.

However, all of these materials were sold in huge rolls, and Bunnings Warehouse didn't have any spare small pieces of the materials. This is a problem, as I only need a little bit of each material. So, I am thinking about visiting a few different construction sites. There, I will ask whether they have any spare insulation material that they no longer need.

Which type of insulation is "good'?

Now that I know what how insulation works, I need to know how to distinguish between "good" insulation and "bad" insulation. One of the most simple ways of distinguishing whether an insulation material is "good" or not is by looking at the R-values. All insulation is rated in thermal resistance, called R-value. The R-value indicates the resistance to heat flow, so the higher the R-value, the better.

Another important piece of information that I found out was that not all types of insulation is safe to install by yourself. Some materials might need a professional to install, so when I am choosing the materials, I must remember to read the label carefully.

How does insulation work?

If I am going to conduct an experiment on insulation, one of the first things I need to find out is how insulation works. After doing some research, I now have a pretty good understanding of how insulation actually works.

Heat naturally flows towards cold air. This is why heat always tries to escape your house in winter, making it chilly inside, and why heat always tries to slip into your house in summer, making it hot and stuffy. This is where insulation comes in. Insulation can stop some heat from flowing towards the cold air. This way, you can keep heat inside your house in winter and keep the heat outside in summer.

Experiment ideas

For this experiment, I am planning to test the material's insulation level by filling up a bottle/jar of warm water. Then, I will wrap the material around the bottle/jar. I will then check on the temperature every few minutes.

I am also thinking of repeating this experiment with cold water. This is to test whether the material can keep a house cool in summer.

This is just a brief plan on what I am going to do, as I will be explaining this in more detail in the method.

Welcome to my science fair blog!

Hi everybody! My name is Jennifer and I am a Year 8 student at BBI. I am currently writing this blog about my science fair, which is coming up very soon. I am very excited about this project, and I will record all of my information and findings onto this blog. My project last year was about plants, and how they grew under different colours of light.

This year, I am planning to do an experiment to test which type of insulation is best for a house. This experiment is extremely useful, as winter is approaching fast, and with good insulation, you may end up saving a lot on your electricity bill! Also, when it is hot and stuffy in summer, good insulation will also keep your house cool. So, I will be testing out different materials to find out which is the best insulator.

I will be explaining this in more detail over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more information!