Let's Warm Up!

As you head outside in the morning, you realize that it is colder than you thought it would be. Without gloves, it's going to be a cold walk! To keep warm, you start rubbing your hands together, trying to create a little heat. This helps, because when things are rubbed together, they produce heat.

What else will produce heat, besides hands rubbing together? Here's an experiment to find out.

Materials:

• Paper clip
• Science journal or paper
• Assorted objects:
  • craft sticks
  • rocks
  • chop sticks
  • clean socks
  • wooden blocks
  • plastic blocks
  • jar lids

Procedure:

1. Place a paper clip on your face so you can feel the temperature.
   
2. Rub the paper clip vigorously on the carpet.
   
3. Place the paper clip again on your face.
   • Do you feel the heat?
   • Is it much warmer or only a little warmer?
4. Try rubbing other objects to see if heat is produced from rubbing.
   

   Chopsticks
   Rocks	Washcloths
   Rub your hand on your pant leg	Craft sticks

5. Make a chart in your science journal and record which objects you rub together. Also write if each produces a lot of heat, a little heat, or if you can't tell if heat is produced.

Your chart could look something like this:

You have probably found out through your experiments that heat is made when objects are rubbed together. Some objects produce more heat than others, but heat is always produced. Why? Because heat is produced by the movement and collision of the tiny particles in an object.

Now if you are cold outside - get moving!