I'm Freezing!

Sometimes it is hard to be out in the cold weather because our hands get so cold! How do you make them warm? Gloves are great, but do gloves make your hands warm, or do they just keep your hands warm? Write what you think, then try this experiment to find the answer.

Materials:

• Two thermometers
• Glove
• Science journal or paper
• You!

Record the temperature shown on the thermometers. Then place one thermometer in the glove, and one on the table next to it. Wait five minutes, then record the temperature shown on the thermometer in the glove and the thermometer on the table. Is the temperature in the glove warmer than the thermometer on the table? Carefully place your hand in the glove, then wait five minutes. Record the temperature of each thermometer. Did your hand being in the glove make a difference in the temperature?

You probably noticed that the temperature inside the glove was just about the same as the temperature in the room. Gloves don't make your hand warm. They will only keep the heat inside if your hand is already warm. When you put your hand in the glove, that is when the glove starts to have a higher temperature because your hand is warmer than room temperature. Gloves are called insulators because they will keep the warm in, but they will not make things warm.

Extension:

Try this experiment using a coat. Put one thermometer inside the coat and one on the table next to the coat. Are the results the same?