The document summarizes an experiment to determine the best insulating material. The experiment tested newspapers, plastic bags, woolen socks, and silver foil wrapped around bottles of hot water. Temperatures were recorded over 20 minutes. Woolen socks proved to be the best insulator, with the least temperature drop of 9.8°F. Silver foil had the greatest temperature drop of 13.4°F, making it the worst insulator. The experiment showed that different materials have varying abilities to hold heat.

1. Conservation
of
Energy & Resources

2. Purpose
This investigation is to find out which
material is the best insulator.
The material that can hold the heat
longest.

3. Materials Used
• a thermometer
• 4 glass bottles
• hot water
• a piece of newspapers
• a piece of silver foil
• woolen socks
• a plastic bag

4. Procedure
• Step 1
Get ready a thermometer and 4 bottles.
• Step 2
Testing of water for a right temperature
Since I can only get a clinical thermometer with readings
ranging from 94°F to 108°F,
the temperature of the hot water used must be high, above
104°F. To get readings when the temperature drops.

5. • Step 3
wrap the 4 different materials around each bottle with
rubber bands.
plastic bag woolen socks newspapers silver foil

6. • Step 4
Pour hot water into all the bottles, and make sure the
temperature is above 104°F.
• Step 5
Put in the thermometer into the bottles and record the
reading one by one.
• Step 6
Record the temperature again 5 minutes later.
• Step 7
Record the temperature again 10 minutes later.
• Step 8
Record the temperature again 20 minutes later.

7. Observations
Temp.
Temperature
5 minutes 10 minutes 20 minutes
(°F)
later later later
at the start
Materials
Newspapers 106.8°F 103.6 °F 99.6°F 94.7°F
Plastic bag 106.6°F 104°F 100.8°F 95.4°F
Woolen socks 104.8°F 102°F 99.5°F 95°F
Silver foil 107.4°F 102.4°F 98°F 94°F

8. Conclusions
Temp(°F)
Difference between the
highest and the lowest Temperature dropped
Materials temperature (°F) (°F)
Newspapers 106.8 -- 94.7 12.1
Plastic bag 106.6 -- 95.4 11.2
Woolen socks 104.8 -- 95 9.8
Silver foil 107.4 -- 94 13.4

9. 1. Can be seen from the table, the temperature of the
water bottle wrap with the woolen socks drops
slower than others at each recordings.
2. The temperature of the water bottle wrap with silver
foil drops faster than others at each recordings.
The total temperature drops for woolen socks is
the least, it’s only 9.8 °F
So, woolen socks is able to keep heat longer, and
it is the best insulator.

10. Big Idea
1. I have learnt that different materials has
different ability to hold heat.
2. So, we must use the right material for
different uses.
3. To keep heat, we use woolen, thicker and
darker material. But on the other hand, if heat
is to let go faster we can use silver
foil, thinner or material with lighter color.