Lab: The Albedo Effect
Period:____
Name:__________
Materials:
4 soda cans
4 thermometers
2 sheets black construction paper
4 sheets white printer paper
Graduated cylinder
Meter stick
Heat lamp
Timer
Procedure:
1. Wrap two soda cans in black construction paper.
2. Wrap two additional cans in white printer paper.
3. Using a graduated cylinder measure 25ml of water and pour it into each of the cans.
4. Place one can with white paper and one can with black paper 30cm directly in front of the heat lamp.
5. Place one can with white paper and one can with black paper 30cm directly to the side of the heat
lamp. A bird’s eye view is below.
Heat Lamp
30cm
Front
Side
6. Record the starting temperature in the data table.
7. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
8. When the timer goes off, record the final temperature in the data table.
Lab: The Albedo Effect
Period:____
Name:__________
9. Calculate the change in temperature for each can (Final temperature – Starting temperature).
10. Turn off the heat lamp and return your materials
Temperature oC
Can: front white
Can: front black
Can: side white
Can side black
Start
Final
Change in temp
Questions:
1. What was the change in temperature in each can? _________________________________________
2. Which can showed the greatest change in temperature? ____________________________________
Why did this happen? _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. How was the heat transferred from the heat lamp to the can? ________________________________
4. Which can has a greater albedo? _______________________________________________________
How do you know this? _______________________________________________________________
5. During the day a phenomenon known as a “heat island” occurs. How does the albedo effect explain
this?
6. Where is the most solar energy being absorbed? What information from the graph supports your
statement?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Lab: The Albedo Effect
Period:____
Name:__________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Where is the most solar energy being reflected? What information from the graph supports your
statement?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
8. What happens to the incoming solar radiation? (Where is it absorbed?)
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. What are the sources of outgoing radiation?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. Where is the radiation stored? ________________________________________________________
11. Greenhouse gasses, such as Carbon dioxide, trap infra-red radiation in the atmosphere. Since this
radiation never leaves what does it do to the air?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Lab: The Albedo Effect
Period:____
Name:__________
____________________________________________________________________________________