Welcome Students!
How do you feel in the sunlight?
Warm!
Why?
The Sun gives off:
Heat
Light
This heat and light is called…
Solar Radiation:
heat and light from the Sun
Solar Radiation
is reflected and absorbed
Reflection:
heat and light bounce off a
surface
Absorption:
heat and light are taken in by a
surface
Solar radiation warms
the Earth
Earth’s atmosphere protects
us from most solar radiation
There is no atmosphere in space,
so it can get very hot or very cold
Astronauts need extra protection in
space from the extreme
temperatures
Why else do astronauts need extra
protection?
•No air
•No pressure
•space debris
What do Astronauts wear for
protection in space?
The Experiment:
why are space suits white?
You will get two envelopes
One light envelope
One dark envelope
Place a thermometer inside each
envelope
Place the envelopes in the light,
record the temperatures, and predict
how they will change
Graph your results!
100 ° F
90 ° F
80 ° F
70 ° F
60° F
0
5
10
15
20
mins mins mins mins mins
Write a Hypothesis:
Which color do you think will get
warmer and why?
Which envelope was warmer?
The dark envelope!
Why?
Dark colors absorb light:
•take heat in
•get hotter faster
That’s why black asphalt is so
hot in the summer
Which envelope stayed cooler?
The light envelope!
Why?
Light colors reflect light:
•Heat bounces off
•Stay cooler
This is why astronauts wear light
colored space suits!
Did You Know?
Space suits also have built-in air
conditioning to help keep astronauts cool!