Earth Systems

Standard VI, Objective 1

Title: How Hot?

Description/Objectives:
Design and carry out an experiment to compare the rates of heat absorption and
of heat release of both soil and water.
Observe how these differing rates of heat absorption and release affect the air
above the soil and above the water

Time required: One 50 minute class period

Student Background: The sun’s energy that is absorbed by Earth is spread

throughout the atmosphere in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation.
Conduction is the direct transfer of heat energy from one substance to another.
As air above the earth’s surface comes in contact with the warm ground, the air
is warmed. Soil, water and air are poor heat conductors. Convection is the
transfer of heat in a fluid. Air is a fluid. When air near the earth’s surface is
heated, it becomes less dense and rises. Cooler, more dense air from above
sinks. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy in the form of waves. When the
sun’s energy moves by radiation, it does not need the presence of a solid, liquid,
or gas.

Note to the teacher: Students might want to and should be encouraged to place
their thermometers in different places.

Materials: ring stand, soil, metric ruler, boxes – they can be clear, plastic or a
shoe box, thermometers – 4, overhead light with reflector or sun, water, tape,
colored pencils, graph paper, student sheet (printed below)

Procedure:
1. This experiment can be done as an inquiry activity or with more teacher
direction. The student sheet is set up as an inquiry, the procedures listed below
can be copied into the procedures if you wish.
Directions:
1. Set up two boxes, one with soil and the other with water. The soil and water
should be 5 cm’s deep.
2. Place two thermometer bulbs 3 cm’s deep. Place the other two close the first
two, but the bulb should be 1 cm above the soil line. Use the tape to secure the
thermometers and to label the thermometers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
3. Write a hypothesis.
4. With the light on, take the temperature of each thermometer every minute for
25 minutes. Write your data down.
5. With the light off, take the temperature of each thermometer every minute for
10 minutes.
6. Use your colored pencils and the graph paper to graph your data.
7. Write down your conclusion.

Scoring Guide
1. Students design experiment and record procedures……………..20 pts.
2. Students conduct experiments and record data…………………..20 pts.
3. Students graph results…………………………………………………5 pts
3. Students correctly answer questions…………………………………5 pts
4. Student writes thoughtful conclusion…………………………………5 pts

Answers to Questions:
1. Soil should heat up more quickly
2. The air above the soil should heat up more quickly. Why? Water absorbs
heat slowly and releases it slowly. Soil heats quickly and releases heat quickly.
3. Soil should lose heat more rapidly. Why? Soil has less heat capacity than
water; it does not store heat as well.
4. Answers will vary. Explanation should be logical.
5. A clear lid should increase temperatures.
Student page Name_____________________

Title: How Hot?

Purpose: You can burn your feet at the beach and cool them in the water. Why
do the water and sand feel so different? Does soil or water absorb radiation
faster? How does the temperature of air above each surface change? You will
design an experiment to find the answers to these questions.

Hypothesis:

Materials: ring stand, soil, metric ruler, boxes, thermometers (4), overhead light
with reflector or sun, water, tape, colored pencils, graph paper

Procedure:
Write the steps down that you will take:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Data:
Graph (on graph paper)
Questions:

1. When the light was on, which heated up faster, the soil or water?

2. When the light was on, which heated up faster, the air above the water or the
air above the soil? Why?

3. When the light was off, infer from your graph which lost heat faster, the water
or the soil. Why?

4. Was your hypothesis supported by your data? Explain

5. Predict how your data would be different if you placed a clear lid on the
boxes.

Conclusion: