Which material is the best insulator of heat?

Science Experiment

Science border

Here is a photo of the experiment. We made sure to wrap each material around the cardboard cup carefully and ensure the time and temperatures were accurate. We observed the temperatures every thirty seconds.

If we did not know our constant factor, the test would be inaccurate!

We had to gather various materials to test which would be the best insulator of heat. We gathered j cloth, tinfoil and felt. It was important to measure the heated water in the graduated cylinder to keep this factor constant.  

What do you think was the best insulator? Make a guess!

This experiment was done to investigate insulation with different objects. This basically means, the ability of different materials to maintain a temperature. 

An insulator reduces conduction, convection and radiation, therefore preserving the desired temperature. This could be useful for something as small as keeping a drink hot, or cold, or heating up a house!

The thermometer took the temperature of the water, as we needed to know the original temperature of the liquid to carry out our experiment. We boiled the water to get a good temperature to test.

We found that the tinfoil was the best insulator of heat. Tinfoil is a common insulator for food and drinks, and rightly so! It kept the water warmer for longer than the J cloth or the felt, proving to be the best insulator.

This would be a very good experiment to do with children to demonstrate the effects of different insulators. It is quick and easy, and also introduces them to new scientific tools and terms such as thermometer and graduated cylinder.