A home automation platform, such as Home Assistant, allows you to make temperature v time graphs using sensors that you might place around the home. Monitoring temperatures allowed me to get my heating devices...
The Xiaomi Mijia sensor runs for ages on a AAA battery and it can be stuck to a wall to show the temperature and humidity. It’s an attractive Bluetooth Low Energy device that beams...
IT ideas for primary science topics covering heat, energy, temperature, keeping warm.
Hot things cool because they lose heat to their surroundings. We can help them to cool by making the surroundings cooler (by blowing) or by conducting heat away with a spoon. The greater the difference..
Babies and adults are warmer than their surroundings and constantly lose heat to it. Other things being equal, how quickly they lose heat depends on their size and the surrounding temperature. The
If a cup of hot water has a higher temperature than the room, it loses heat energy to the room. In contrast, ice water, which has a lower temperature than the room, will gain heat energy from the room. Knowing the temperature of
Weather station With a data logger several sensors can be used together to monitor the weather over periods lasting weeks. Suitable sensors include temperature, pressure, humidity, light or even a rotation sensor to check...
Burning a candle As a candle burns oxygen is used and heat and water are produced. A few sensors can be used to monitor this process – including a light sensor to indicate when...
Thermometric titration As acid reacts with alkali the pH changes and heat is evolved. This heat of neutralisation can be easily monitored using sensors – to produce a graph of temperature and pH against...
Exothermic reactions A temperature sensor can collect information about the heat generated when lime is mixed with water. Exothermic reactions are used in a glove heating pack. The proportions of this mixture is important....
Heat of reaction As acid reacts with alkali, heat is evolved. This is the heat of neutralisation. This can be easily monitored using a temperature sensor. In this experiment the temperature is monitored continuously...
Absorption of thermal radiation A shiny surface and a black surface absorb heat differently. Using temperature sensors or thermocouple probes it is possible to compare the temperatures on two these different surfaces. Either the...
Cooling curve Two temperature sensors can collect some interesting information about cooling during a change of state. In this experiment the temperature of a water bath increases as a substance cools. But the unusual...
Heat insulation A temperature sensor can be used to study the insulating properties of different materials. Two temperature sensors allow a simultaneous comparison to be made. In this experiment two beakers of hot water...
Heat conduction A temperature sensor can be used to study the conduction of heat through different materials. Two temperature sensors allow a comparison to be made. In this experiment strips of metal are heated...
Pressure & temperature How pressure changes with temperature can be monitored using sensors. A graph of pressure against temperature can be plotted as it happens. After the experiment, the scale of the axis can...
Thermistor characteristics The voltage & current of a thermistor are measured as its temperature changes. Sensors allow graphs of voltage and current to be plotted against time. Not only can the resistance of the...
Heating effect of an electric current The temperature, voltage & current of a heating unit are measured over a period of time. This allows us to calculate the power of the heater (voltage x...
As the temperature of water increases, the solubility of oxygen decreases. This is significant in pollution studies – for example, when factory outflow warms a river. In this experiment a sample of aerated water...
As food burns it releases energy. This energy can be used to heat up a known volume of water and so calculate its energy content. The temperature change can be easily monitored using a temperature sensor. Furthermore, if the food stops burning too soon, the graph will show how much the water cools and you can add this temperature change into your calculations.
When living things respire they use up oxygen. This can be monitored using an oxygen sensor. The living thing can be a plant, animal or microorganism. Maggots, locusts, or yeast are often used and so can pond-weed. If you use Elodea, its container should be kept in the dark or wrapped in foil.
It is also quite easy to show how temperature affects the rate of respiration
– however, in this example, the oxygen sensor should be able to compensate for its own response to temperature changes.
Sensors to measure heat and temperature These sensors are available in all flavours to suit different applications. You should be able to decide on the type that suits whole class use and have any...
data loggers – the scientist’s camera! There is a rich world of data waiting to be collected. Take an accelerometer with you on a theme park roller coaster or if that’s too sad, take...
rogerfrost.com is a compendium of ideas for using technology with sciencey questions in mind. When Roger Frost started it in 1995 it offered ideas to school science teachers. Since 2020 it’s broadened to cover home automation and all sorts of gadgets and ways to monitor, or understand, what’s going on around us.
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Roger Frost has been writing since 1988 and this web includes his paper published articles about the developing use of the Internet; the work of scientists and how any of us might find technology useful at home or school.
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