Episode 5 — Insulation & Energy Saving

Investigating Insulation

Learners will be able to:

• Formulate a hypothesis predicting which of several materials (bubble wrap, paper, fabric, tin foil) will be the best insulator. • Identify the independent variable, dependent variable and controlled variables in an investigation comparing insulating materials. • Describe a method for a fair test investigating insulating materials, using identical containers, equal volumes of hot water and a thermometer. • Plot and interpret a line graph of temperature against time for different insulating materials to identify the best insulator. • Investigate and explain how the thickness of an insulating material affects its insulating effectiveness.