Color+heat labs!?

Question

okay. i need a hands-on lab for students (high school) to do that has to do with how the color black absorbs more heat.

for my demonstration i am having 2 cans one black one white under a heat lamp.

but i need something the students can do.

any ideas? please help!!

Answer 1

no sorry

Answer 2

If you put the heat lamp under the cans so it shines on the bottom, you can fill the cans with equal amounts of water.  The heat lamp will warm the cans, and the water, and you can track how much heat goes in by how fast the water temperature increases (more heat will lead to faster temperature rise).  Painting the can bottoms black or leaving them shiny will show the difference in absorption.