2019
Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________
Student Exploration: Heat Absorption
Vocabulary: absorb, greenhouse, radiation, reflect, thermal energy
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Is it usually hotter outside when the Sun is low in the sky, such as early in the morning, or
when the Sun is high in the sky, around noon? ____________________________________
2. If you want to stay cool on a hot, sunny day, should you wear black or white? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Gizmo Warm-up
In the Heat Absorption Gizmo, a powerful flashlight can
shine on a variety of materials. Make sure that the Light
color is set to White.
1. Drag the Wood under the beam of light. What do you
notice? _____________________________________
____________________________________________
2. What is the color of the light that is reflected off the wooden block? ___________________
3. Click Play ( ) to start the clock.
A. What happens to the temperature of the wood? _____________________________
B. The light that is not reflected away is absorbed by the wood. What does the
absorbed light energy do to the wood? ____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Energy that is transmitted through space by light waves is called radiation. The wood gets
hotter because it gains thermal energy from the light waves.
SalmaKMarch 1
when
sunishighinthe
sky
whiteblack
attracts
heat
the
light
reflects
areddishbrown
itincreases
itheatsitup
