What kind of energy do we use and does saving it influence the pace of climate changes we have seen in recent years? It is important to explain to children in simple terms how we can reduce household energy consumption. The following experiment will certainly help with this.
MATERIALS
- A light bulb and a fluorescent bulb which consume the same amount of power (Watt unit)
- A thermometer
- A lamp
Task Description
The teacher screws the fluorescent bulb into the lamp and turns it on. Children observe the produced light and hold the thermometer close to the bulb for one minute. They turn the lamp off and record the temperature.
Next, the teacher replaces the fluorescent bulb with the light bulb and turns it on. Children observe the light again and hold the thermometer close to the bulb for one minute, then record the temperature.
The teacher asks questions: Was there any difference in the type of light produced by the two bulbs? Did one bulb generate more heat than the other? Which bulb uses less energy?
Conclusions
In everyday life, we use light bulbs to illuminate rooms, for example. Many light bulbs generate not only light but also heat. Bulbs that produce heat consume much more energy, so they are not energy-efficient. Fluorescent bulbs consume much less energy because they do not heat up. This makes them a much better choice if we want to use less energy, save money, and help the climate.
This post was created as part of a project co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation as part of the RITA programme – Region in Transition, implemented by the Education for Democracy Foundation.