Keeping It Cool! Written by Laura Blackburn K-5 Educator

Energy … the foundation of everything we do! We depend on energy to make our lives more enjoyable and productive.

We all use energy every day— for cooking, heating and cooling rooms, transportation, manufacturing, lighting, and entertainment.

However, we must use energy resources wisely to maintain our quality of life. By properly insulating buildings, we can conserve large amounts of energy.

We can save millions of dollars in heating and cooling costs.

We can reduce greenhouse emissions by thousands of tons every year.

Insulation is the use of a non-conducting material to prevent the transfer of heat. Different types of insulation are used in building construction and these are rated for their effectiveness.

Today we will…  use a computer graphing program and temperature probe to rate the effectiveness of our own insulation project.  analyze our results by finding the mean, median, mode, and range of our data collection.

Insulation begins from the ground up! Insul-Tarp® combines layers of insulation and reflective material. It is used in the beginning stages of construction, rolled out before the concrete base is poured.

Loose-filled insulation is blown into attics and walls. Radiant barrier insulation used inside walls resists conduction of heat. Picture used by permission from Insulation Solutions© Then inside…

And out… Insulation is used around water tanks to prevent heat loss. Insulation is used on roofs to keep houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Earth is a natural insulator!

Thermal insulation developed by NASA for use on the Space Shuttle has been used by NASCAR drivers. Other uses of insulation…

Insulation materials developed by NASA are also used in blankets and clothing.

Team NumberRange Team #1 Team #2 Team #3 Team #4 Team #5 Keeping It Cool Team Results

Temperature regulation is important in many aspects of engineering.

Packaging engineers have to ship items at specific temperatures. Mechanical engineers need to make sure that engines are not overheating.

Electrical and computer engineers must ensure that electronics will not overheat.

Civil engineers work in many different climates and have to decide the best insulating materials to use whether the climate is hot or cold.

By the year 2020, the need for environmentally aware engineers will be greater than ever if our world is to continue to grow and prosper.

Time to do our own experiment with insulation!