Discuss with your classmates what you learned about how materials reflect or absorb sunlight. create hypothesis that describes why you think some materials absorb heat better than others, then do the lab experiment and compare your data to your classmates. Describe how your data supports, or does not support, your hypothesis. Respond to a classmate and evaluate their hypothesis. Answer the following questions before you participate in the discussion.
- State your original hypothesis.
- State your revised hypothesis (to be completed after conducting the experiment), if necessary.
- Which material reached the highest temperature on the surface? Which material reached the highest temperature in the area beneath?
- Which material heated up least on the surface? Which material caused the air beneath to heat up the least?
- Which material would make the best roofing material for a new house in southern Florida? Did your hypothesis support your findings? If not, rewrite hypothesis in Question 2.
- What does this experiment tell you about the ability of some natural materials to absorb or reflect sunlight?
- How do you think the surface of the earth heats up or cools down? Think about surfaces such as snow-covered fields, pavement, and grassy fields.
- Why is it generally warmer in an urban area than in a rural area?