Easy Experiments to Show How Heat Moves

In Year 10 physics, it’s important to learn how energy, or heat, travels. There are three main ways it can move: conduction, convection, and radiation. Here are some simple experiments you can do in class to see these processes in action.

1. Conduction

What You Need:

• A metal rod or spoon
• A heat source (like a candle or hot plate)
• A thermometer

Steps:

1. Put one end of the metal rod in the heat source.
2. Use the thermometer to check the temperature at the other end of the rod every few minutes.

What You’ll See:

• The heat will slowly move from the hot end of the rod to the cool end.
• This happens because the tiny bits (atoms) in the metal jiggle and pass the heat to the ones next to them.

What You Learn:

• You’ll notice that the temperature changes at a steady rate. This shows that metals, like copper, are really good at moving heat.

2. Convection

What You Need:

• A clear container
• Water
• Food coloring
• A heat source (like a hot plate)

Steps:

1. Fill the container with water and heat it from below.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring on the surface.

What You’ll See:

• The food coloring will swirl around. This happens because warm water rises and cool water sinks, creating a cycle called convection currents.

What You Learn:

• You can measure how fast the food coloring moves. It usually goes about 1 to 10 cm per second depending on how hot the water is.

3. Radiation

What You Need:

• A thermometer or infrared camera
• A light source (like a lamp)
• A matte black surface

Steps:

1. Place the thermometer on a matte black surface and turn on the lamp.
2. After 5 minutes, check the temperature of the surface.

What You’ll See:

• The black surface will get hotter than a shiny surface. This shows how objects absorb heat differently.

What You Learn:

• You’ll see that black surfaces can soak up about 90% of the heat that hits them, while shiny surfaces only take in about 10%.

These fun experiments help you see how conduction, convection, and radiation work in real life. You don’t need much equipment, and they can help you understand how heat moves around us every day!