Heating of Land and Water

Introduction
How fast land and water heat and cool influences our weather. In Part I of this experiment, you will heat sand and water. You will use two Temperature Probes to see which heats faster. In Part II, you will allow warm sand and warm water to cool. This time you will use two Temperature Probes to see which cools faster. You will then apply your results.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Use a computer and an NXT to measure temperature.
- Calculate temperature changes.
- Compare the rates of heating and cooling for sand and water.
Sensors and Equipment
This project/activity requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You will also need NXT Sensor Adapter and a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system.
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
The preview does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book for classroom use.
Standards Correlations
No standards correlations for this experiment.

