Can ice cubes melt if the temperature outside is below zero degrees Celsius? With the Experiment on Solar Energy Glass Trap your little ones will be able to determine if it’s possible.
When light reaches a car and hits the surface of the seat, it converts into heat. Light can pass through glass but then the heat is trapped inside. This is the main reason why cars heat up so fast in the summer. All objects that transform light into heat and trap it are called solar thermal collectors.
It is not only cars that can absorb solar energy. A water container at home or in the garden can turn into one. So, rather than using electricity for water heating, we can install a solar collector/solar panel.
WE WILL NEED:
- 3 transparent bowls (plastic or glass)
- 9 ice cubes
- a white or transparent lid
- a black lid (a black foil bag will also do)
- a day when the temperature has dropped below 0˚C
Instructions
- Put 3 ice cubes in each bowl. Cover one bowl with the black cover, put the white lid on the second bowl, and leave the third uncovered.
- Bring the bowls outside (place them in a sunny spot).
- Together with children record the changes you notice every 15-30 minutes.
Did ice melt in any of the bowls? Why? What do you think could be the reason?
