Name: Colwyn Sleep
Date:OCT 4 2015
Biology 11 Unit 1 Assignment 2: Scientific Method Virtual Lab
Instructions:
Please complete the Scientific Method Virtual Lab.
External Link: http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/E16/
E16.html
Read the information and procedures provided in the lab and complete both the table and
journal questions (provided below). Please note you should be answering your questions
in detail, by providing support in the form of data values (external or from the lab) and
scientific information/research to explain your statements.
Table/Graph Section:
Table 1: ____________________________________________________________
Jacket Color
Wool oC
Nylon oC
Denim oC
Black
30.7
29.1
29.5
Blue
29.0
28.0
28.5
Green
28.3
27.4
27.8
Yellow
28.8
27.8
28.3
White
25.0
24.6
24.9
Journal Questions:
1. What is the problem you are trying to solve?
How does colour affect heat absorption?
2. Form a hypothesis: what is the prediction you want to test?
If different colours of clothing are exposed to heat, then the darker clothing will
absorb more heat than the lighter clothing.
3. Test your hypothesis. How will you use the computer model to test your
hypothesis? What steps will you follow? What data will you record? Conduct
your experiment and record your results.
To test my hypothesis, 5 different colours of clothing (Black, Blue, Green, Yellow,
and White) will be exposed to the heat from a 60w lightbulb for a duration of 5
minutes. Jackets of three different types of material will be tested: Wool, Nylon,
and Denim. Each item of clothing will begin at a controlled temperature of 22.0C.
Three jackets of the same colour will be used for each test, and an average
temperature of the three will be taken. The results will then be compared to see
which colours of clothing have absorbed more heat.
4. Analyze the results of your experiment. Explain any patterns you observed.
In my experiment, in all three materials, the darker clothing generally absorbed more heat
than lighter clothing. The one exception to my results is yellow clothing. Yellow clothing
consistently absorbed more heat than green clothing. White clothing stayed notably much
cooler than the coloured clothing. Although the amount of heat absorbed by the clothing
changed with each different clothing material, the amount of heat absorbed by each
colour of clothing remained proportionate despite the type of material.
5. Draw a conclusion. Did the results of your experiment support hypothesis? Why
or why not?
In conclusion, my hypothesis was generally correct. For the most part, with each
lighter coloured item of clothing, the jacket would absorb less heat. However, it
should be noted that the colour yellow was an exception to my results and
absorbed more heat than the green jacket in each test.
6. How does the material of the jacket affect heat absorption?
The material of the jacket noticeably affected heat absorption. Nylon absorbed the least
heat, Denim absorbed slightly more, and Wool absorbed the most heat. This is possibly
due to the insulating properties of the different types of material.
7. Describe the strengths and weakness of the computer model you used in the
experiment. What other parameters could you use in such an experiment to
determine the effect of colour on heat absorption?
In the computer model test I conducted I was able to set certain control factors. For
example, the heat from the 60w light bulb, the time the clothing was exposed to the heat,
the starting temperature of 22.0C for each test, and the average of three different jackets
being tested. Other parameters that could be used might involve conducting the same
experiment in the dark, but with heat from a heater rather than a lightbulb, to see if the
results change without the presence of light. Another parameter that could be used would
be to test a broader spectrum of colours to see if there are other colours, such as the
yellow jacket in my test, which act as an exception to my hypothesis.