Heating and Cooling Through History
This early form of insulation was used by pioneers and Indigenous peoples and had natural insulating properties.
What is sod?
What happens to particles when a solid melts into a liquid?
They gain energy and move farther apart / move more freely.
Heat transfer through direct contact is called ______.
What is conduction?
Name one career related to heating and cooling.
HVAC technician, boiler engineer, insulation installer, refrigeration mechanic.
Which has a higher heat capacity: water or metal?
What is water?
Name one reason standardized temperature scales (like Celsius and Kelvin) became important in science and technology.
What is ensuring accurate, consistent measurements across the world?
What is the difference between heat and temperature?
Heat is energy transfer; temperature measures average kinetic energy of particles.
Heat transfer through movement of fluids (liquid or gas) is called ______.
What is convection?
How does air conditioning impact the environment?
Uses electricity, increases energy demand, may use refrigerants that affect climate.
Why is water used in many heating systems?
High heat capacity — it stores lots of energy.
This invention keeps heat from transferring by reducing conduction, convection, AND radiation.
What is a thermos?
On a heating curve for water, what happens during a flat (plateau) section?
A change of state is occurring; temperature stays constant while energy breaks bonds.
Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves is called ______.
What is radiation?
Give one example of a heating or cooling problem that science cannot completely solve.
Global climate change, extreme weather events, energy poverty.
What does R-value measure?
Resistance to heat flow (insulating ability).
Explain one scientific principle behind how central heating systems warm a house.
What is convection (warm air rises and circulates)?
(Also acceptable: conduction through radiators.)
Name two changes of state and explain what happens to particle motion in each.
Melting – particles move more freely
Condensation – particles slow down and come closer together
Why does a metal spoon feel hotter than a wooden spoon in hot soup?
Metal is a better conductor of heat.
How does insulation in homes benefit society?
Reduces energy costs, lowers environmental impact, increases comfort.
Name two insulation materials and compare one advantage of each.
Fiberglass – inexpensive
Polystyrene – moisture resistant
Cellulose – environmentally friendly
Compare one historical heating method (like open-fire heating) with modern central heating in terms of environmental impact.
Modern systems are more efficient and produce fewer indoor pollutants; open fires wasted heat and produced smoke.
How does evidence from heating and cooling experiments support the particle theory?
Changes in volume, motion, and state show particles move faster with heat and slower when cooled.
Describe one real-world example of convection currents in nature.
Thunderstorms, ocean currents, lake turnover, warm air rising in atmosphere.
Assess: Are radiant heaters more efficient than heating an entire building? Why or why not?
Often yes for small spaces because they heat people/objects directly instead of air.
Why might straw bale insulation be environmentally beneficial?
Renewable, biodegradable, good insulation, low carbon footprint.