Temperature
Title: ________________________________
Time
NAME:
DATE:
PERIOD:
Lab: Tilt & Temperature
If you walk on blacktop pavement at noon you can feel the effect of solar energy. The Sun’s
rays hit at the highest angle at midday. Now consider the fact that Earth is tilted on its axis.
How does this tilt affect the angle at which light rays strike an area on Earth? How is the
angle of the light rays related to the amount of heat energy and the change seasons?
PREDICT: At what possible angle do you think your paper will be the hottest?
Goals:
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Measure the temperature change in a surface after light strikes it at different angles.
Describe how the angle of light relates to season on Earth.
Procedure:
1. Take the initial temperature of the black cylinder and record it on your table (for 45◦).
2. Position your lamp to 45◦. Wait to turn the lamp on until the teacher tells you to.
3. When the timer goes off take your next temperature reading and record it on your
table. Repeat this process when the timer goes off again for the last reading.
4. Turn the lamp off, take the thermometer out of the black cylinder and place it in the
spare cylinder.
5. Repeat these steps for 90◦ and 180◦
TEMPERATURE DATA
Angle of Lamp
45◦
90◦
180◦
Initial Temperature
Temperature at ___
minutes
Temperature at ___
minutes
NAME:
DATE:
PERIOD:
Summary Questions
1. Create a line graph on the included graphing paper. Be sure to title your graph, label
and number your x & y access and give a key as to which color represents which angle.
2. Which angle heated up the fastest? Why do you think this happened?
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3. Which angle heated up the slowest? Why do you think this happened?
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4. Describe what happened to the temperature of the paper as you changed the angle of
light.
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5. What was the INDEPENDENT variable, what was the DEPENDENT variable? What
controls did we use?
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6. Predict how your results might have been different if you used white paper. Explain
why.
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7. How does the result of this experiment apply to seasons on Earth?
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8. Seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres are opposite. Explain how this
supports the statement that seasons are NOT caused by Earth’s changing distance from
the sun.
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