
Fabric Insulation: Thinsulate vs. Cotton Fleece
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How does the fabric of your scarf affect how warm you stay? Different fabrics trap heat at different rates. A simple test with warm water can show which one works best.
You wrap flasks of warm water with a Thinsulate scarf and a cotton fleece scarf. A third flask sits unwrapped as the control. You read each thermometer every 30 minutes for two hours.
The Thinsulate-wrapped flask stays warmest. Cotton fleece comes in second. The bare flask cools the fastest.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that Thinsulate fabric retains heat and keeps water in a flask warm for the longest period of time.
Method & Materials
You will use 3 conical flasks, 3 corks, an electric drill, 3 thermometers, a scarf made from Thinsulate fabric, a scarf made from cotton fleece, 2 strings, tap water, a hot plate, and a clock.
You will need 3 conical flasks, 3 corks, an electric drill with the bits, 3 thermometers, 1 scarf made from Thinsulate fabric, 1 scarf made from cotton fleece, 2 strings, tap water, 1 hot plate, and 1 clock.
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See what’s includedResults
The experiment showed that the water in the conical flask wrapped with Thinsulate fiber remained warm the longest, followed by the flask wrapped with the cotton fleece scarf.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how different fabrics can be used to keep us warm in different climates.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include repeating the experiment using different materials like fur, wool, silk and leather, or increasing the layers of fabric and comparing the results.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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