fun thermodynamics experiments

What is Heat Transfer? Heat Transfer Experiments

Heat transfer projects are an exciting and engaging choice for your next STEM activity. Kids love the hands on nature of these projects. Plus they offer a lot of practical life skills. Like how to build a natural solar heater or how to slow heat loss, or how to make a slurpee with science !

Science Fair Heat Transfer Experiments

Table of Contents

Heat Transfer Science and Definitions

Before jumping into a bunch of Heat Transfer Projects it’s a good idea to chat about the science behind these experiments.

Heat Energy is often called thermal energy. Thermal energy is present in the molecules of an object. When an object is hot the molecules have a lot of energy and move fast. When an object is cold, the molecules have little energy and move slowly.

One thing to keep in mind, is that the faster molecules are moving, the more space they take up. The Bottle Crush experiment below is a fantastic way to demonstrate this principle.

How is Heat Transferred?

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that heat will always move from a hot object to a cooler one.  Heat transfer is the movement of thermal energy as it transfers from one object to another or between an object and it’s surroundings. Thermal energy will naturally work towards a state of balance or equilibrium. This is known as thermal equilibrium, where two objects or an object and it’s surroundings achieve the same level of heat energy (thermal energy).

Keep in mind the greater the difference in temperature the more rapid the transfer of heat. The Mpemba Effect is a great way to explore this principle in water.

What is the Difference Between Heat and Temperature?

It’s important not to confuse Heat and Temperature. Heat refers to the energy present in the molecules of an object (picture how fast those molecules are moving). Heat is affected by the speed of the particles, the number of particles (including their size or mass), and the type of particles. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in an object and is not affected by the number or size of the molecules. Heat and temperature are directly related to each other, but not the same thing.

Picture a steaming mug of coffee, now picture a bathtub filled with the same steaming coffee. The temperature is the same, but the thermal energy is higher in the tub because there is more coffee.

In a nutshell, heat is energy. Temperature is a measurement of that energy.

So with these heat transfer projects we are exploring the transfer of energy, with temperature being a common method of measurement and quantification of the results.

Heat Transfer Projects and Experiments

Science fair worthy projects, greenhouse effect experiment – climate change in a jar.

In this climate change experiment students learn hands on about the power of greenhouse gases and how they capture and hold heat from the sun. A simple chemical reaction is all that is needed to replicate the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and see the greenhouse effect in a jar .

Starlite Thermal Insulating Experiment

This project is absolutely fascinating and would make an amazing science fair project for middle grade. Our Starlite recipe uses ingredients that you probably already have and it provides incredible thermal protection from heat transfer. We tested it a number of different ways, and each was utterly fascinating!

Passive Solar Energy Project

This activity uses recycled materials to create a solar chimney . Using the energy from the sun, it is transferred to the air inside the chimney, heating the air.

Winter STEM – Exploring the Effect of Salt on Ice

A fun project that explores how salt impacts ice and the transfer of heat between the ice and adjacent objects and the surroundings.

Slurpee Science

Using the principles explored in the previous Winter STEM project, this heat transfer project has a tasty treat at the end as students make their own slurpees with science !

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag

Want something other than a slurpee? Try making Ice Cream in a Bag using the principles of Heat Transfer and a little muscle power. We have recipes for regular and dairy free Ice Cream in a Bag. So yummy!

Why Does Water Rise?

This activity is like magic and a great example of how rapid changes in heat energy and temperature can create a vacuum.

More Fun Heat Transfer Projects

Color changing magic playdough recipe.

A wow worthy project making playdough that changes colour as you play, simply from the heat of your hands, or by using chilled or warmed objects. This Magic Playdough Recipe is so cool!

Heat Sensitive Color Changing Oobleck Recipe

Looking to add some non-Newtonian Fluid demonstrations to your heat transfer lessons? Try this fun Colour Changing Oobleck that changes colours from the warmth of your hands, especially as you work it to keep it in a solid state. But release it and watch as it turns to liquid, flowing from your hands and changes colour as it flows. A fantastic demonstration of heat transfer and non-Newtonian fluids.

Magic Moon Dough

This luxurious sensory activity is absolutely mesmerizing. As you play with the silky feeling magic moon dough it will change colour from your touch, just like magic! Takes only minutes to make and provides hours of play.

Bottle Crush

This activity was mentioned above. Bottle Crush is a very simple science project that kids of all ages will enjoy. It does a fantastic job of showing how high heat energy takes up more space and low heat energy takes up less space.

Mpemba Effect – Making Snow

The Mpemba Effect is about the peculiar property of water where it will freeze faster when it is hotter, rather than colder. The greater the difference in temperature, the faster the heat transfer and the more dramatic the results. And at -40 the results are breathtaking!

Convection Currents Experiment

A potentially messy but fun experiment that shows how heat transfers between liquids when they are mixed together.

Ocean Currents Experiment

Similar to the experiment above, this one also explores heat transfer in liquids and how liquids at extreme temperature differences react to each other.

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

Thermal Dynamics Experiments For Kids

Thermal dynamics, also called thermodynamics, is the process of how heat is transferred from one area to another. Heat is a form of energy, which means that the transfer of heat is actually the transfer of energy. For this reason, the study of thermodynamics is actually the study of how and why energy moves in and out of systems. There are a variety of different experiments that can be effective in explaining thermodynamics to children.

Explaining Thermodynamics

Before conducting experiments, children first need to understand the three laws of thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics states that any change in the internal energy of a system is equal to the system minus the work that's done by the system. The second law states that heat can never be transferred from a colder body to a warmer one. The third law of thermodynamics refers to the state of entropy, or randomness, in which a system, as it approaches a temperature of absolute zero, is forced to draw energy from other nearby systems; however, as it draws energy from these systems, it will never reach absolute zero, making the third law of thermodynamics a physical impossibility.

Homemade Ice Cream

A fun, and delicious, experiment kids can undertake is to make homemade ice cream, using a recipe found on the Kelvin's Kids Club website (zapatopi.net/kelvin/kidsclub). By following the recipe, children will have seen how heat energy in the ice-cream mix flowed into a brine solution, which was at a colder temperature due to the salt that was added to lower its temperature, until both the ice cream and the brine were at the same temperature. The heat of the warmer body transferred to the colder body until both became the same temperature, thus demonstrating the second law of thermodynamics.

Boiling Ice

This experiment looks at why a pot of boiling water suddenly stops boiling when an ice cube is placed in it. Heat a pot of water on a stove until it comes to a steady boil, then place several ice cubes into the pot; the water will immediately stop boiling. This experiment likewise proves the second law of thermodynamics, demonstrating that the heat from the burner will always flow to the coldest object in the pot, which in this case is the ice. Therefore the heat from the burner stops making the water boil as it instead works to make the solid ice melt and become water.

"The Science of Cooking"

More child-appropriate experiments involving thermodynamics can be found in Peter Barnham's book "The Science of Cooking." Barnham, a professor at the University of Bristol, U.K., explains how food preparation and cooking meals involve thermodynamic principles. In the book, Barnham delves into the chemistry of foods, discussing how this contributes to the taste of a particular food. Barnham also explores the role of thermodynamics in cooking, with most chapters featuring a food-based experiment that kids can conduct.

• Physics4Kids.com: Heat and Thermal Energy
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: What is Thermodynamics?
• Kelvin's Kids Club: Homemade Ice Cream
• Springer: The Sciene of Cooking; Peter Barnham; 2001

Cite This Article

Brent, Michael. "Thermal Dynamics Experiments For Kids" sciencing.com , https://www.sciencing.com/thermal-dynamics-experiments-kids-8650438/. 24 April 2017.

Brent, Michael. (2017, April 24). Thermal Dynamics Experiments For Kids. sciencing.com . Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/thermal-dynamics-experiments-kids-8650438/

Brent, Michael. Thermal Dynamics Experiments For Kids last modified March 24, 2022. https://www.sciencing.com/thermal-dynamics-experiments-kids-8650438/

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Complete experiments: thermodynamics.

Capstone 'EX' experiments include all the apparatus, sensors (when needed), manuals, and PASCO Capstone files you'll need in your student physics lab. For your convenience, we've listed all the downloadable files for each experiment below.

Grade Level: College

Subject: Physics

01) Electrical Equivalent of Heat

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the amount of electrical energy that is equivalent to a certain amount of thermal energy. This is accomplished by measuring the amount of electrical energy used in the heating resistor to heat water and the resulting thermal energy added to the water. Also, the number of Joules in one calorie is determined.

02) Specific Heat

The purpose of this activity is to determine the specific heat of a metal object and see how that can help identity the metal. A Temperature Sensor is used to measure the change in temperature of a known quantity of water when a metal object of known mass and known initial temperature is put into the water.

03) Electrical Equivalent of Heat - Wireless

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the amount of electrical energy that is equivalent to a certain amount of thermal energy. This is accomplished by measuring the amount of electrical energy used in the heating resistor to heat water and the resulting thermal energy added to the water.

04) Ideal Gas Law

The temperature, volume, and pressure of a gas are measured simultaneously to show that they change according to the Ideal Gas Law. Special cases of constant volume and constant temperature are also investigated.

05) Specific Heat - Wireless

In this activity you will use a temperature sensor to measure the temperature change of a volume of cool water when a hot piece of metal is placed in it. Your data will be used to determine the total amount of heat transferred from the warmer metal to the colder water, which will in turn be used to determine the specific heat of the metal sample.

06) Ideal Gas Law - Wireless

The temperature, volume, and pressure of a gas are measured simultaneously to show that they change according to the Ideal Gas Law. Special cases of constant volume and constant temperature are also investigated. In addition, the value of Absolute Zero is determined.

07) Ratio of Specific Heats of a Gas

A cylinder is filled with air and a Pressure Sensor is attached. The piston is plucked by hand and allowed to oscillate. The oscillating pressure is recorded as a function of time and the period is determined. The ratio of specific heat capacities is calculated using the period of oscillation, according to Ruchhardt's method.

08) Ratio of Specific Heats - Wireless

A cylinder is filled with air and a Wireless Pressure Sensor is attached. The piston is plucked by hand and allowed to oscillate. The oscillating pressure is recorded as a function of time and the period is determined. The ratio of specific heat capacities is calculated using the period of oscillation, according to Ruchhardt's method.

09) Heat Engine Cycle

A heat engine is a device that does work by extracting thermal energy from a hot reservoir and exhausting thermal energy to a cold reservoir. In this experiment, the heat engine consists of air inside a cylinder which expands when the attached can is immersed in hot water. The expanding air pushes on a piston and does work by lifting a weight. The heat engine cycle is completed by immersing the can in cold water, which returns the air pressure and volume to the starting values.

10) Heat Engine Cycle - Wireless

A P-V diagram is generated as a heat engine is taken through a cycle. From this diagram, the heat added to the gas and the work done by the engine are measured to determine the efficiency of the engine. This actual efficiency is compared to the theoretical maximum efficiency.

11) Blackbody Radiation

The spectrum of an incandescent light bulb is scanned by hand using a prism spectrophotometer that measures relative light intensity as a function of angle. A Broad Spectrum Light Sensor is used with a prism so the entire spectrum from approximately 400 nm to 2500 nm can be scanned without the overlapping orders caused by a grating. The wavelengths corresponding to the angles are calculated using the equations for a prism spectrophotometer.

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Teacher files, sparkvue files, pasco capstone files, wireless sensors, pasport sensors, scienceworkshop sensors.

Many lab activities can be conducted with our Wireless , PASPORT , or even ScienceWorkshop sensors and equipment. For assistance with substituting compatible instruments, contact PASCO Technical Support . We're here to help.