THERMAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION LAB
During this lab period, you will make use of information you learned in the “Living with
Thermal Expansion and Contraction” reading and apply it to something from the real
world: ​
BALLOONS!
Important:​
You will be expected to hand in this lab report one week after the lab
period ​
(Tuesday, May 19th)
Question to Ponder:​
How much would an air-filled rubber balloon change in size when
placed in...
a. room temperature for 10 minutes?
b. a cooler with ice for 10 minutes?
c. a bucket of warm tap water for 10 minutes?
1)Create a hypothesis for each situation. How much will it change? What might happen?
***Remember that when creating a hypothesis, you make a prediction and explain
your thoughts/reasons.
a)In room temperature for 10 minutes: _______________________________________
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b)In a cooler with ice for 10 minutes: ________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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c) In a bucket of warm tap water for 10 minutes: ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2) Complete the lab table below as we move through the lab
Balloon Type
Circumference
Before Experiment
Prediction! What
do you think the
circumference will
be after the
experiment?
Actual
Circumference
After Experiment
Room Temperature
In Cooler With Ice
In Bucket With
Warm Tap Water
3) Evaluate your hypothesis! Were you correct? Why or why not? In 4-5 sentences,
using science terms learned in class, explain the outcome of your experiment.
(Use lined paper or type it)
4) Complete questions 1-5 from the “Living with Thermal Expansion and Contraction”
reading. If you need another copy, you can find one on the Heat Science Page of our
website. Be sure to use lots of science terms that you have learned in class/readings.
DUE DATE: TUESDAY, MAY 19th