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Heat (Thermodynamics) Science Fair Project

Hair Shade and Heat Insulation

Medium
Hair Shade and Heat Insulation | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Can the shade of your hair change how well it holds heat? Hair acts as insulation on the human body. The shade of that hair may change how well it works. This project measures the difference with a heat lamp and a thermometer. You collect dark and light hair from a barber shop. You weigh out equal amounts and place each batch in a separate paper bag. Set the bags the same distance from a heat lamp and record the temperature every two minutes for ten minutes. Repeat the test with three different weights of hair. The bags with dark hair consistently reach higher temperatures. Dark shades absorb more heat energy from the lamp than light shades do.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that darker shaded hair will insulate better than light shaded hair.

Method & Materials

You will measure 20, 40, and 60 grams of dark and light shaded hair and place them in separate paper bags. Then, you will place the bags in front of a heat lamp and record the temperatures at two minute intervals for ten minutes.
You will need hair from a barber shop, paper bags, a heat lamp, and thermometers.

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Results

The results showed that the bags containing the dark hair created the greatest temperatures, while the bags containing the light hair created the lowest temperatures. This supports the hypothesis that darker shaded hair insulates better than light shaded hair.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how something as simple as hair color can have an effect on how well it insulates.

Also Consider

Variations to consider include testing different shades of hair, testing different lengths of hair, or testing different types of hair (curly, straight, etc.).

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
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