Cooling Fan

Introduction

Normal body temperature is generally around 37°C (98.6°F), but each person’s actual temperature varies by age, activity, and time of day. The human body is very good at keeping its temperature within a safe range despite the temperature of the surrounding air. If you are too hot, you may begin to sweat, and as the sweat evaporates, it helps cool your body. Wind, or blowing air, makes it easier for the air to evaporate sweat from your skin. As a STEM extension to the “Hot Hands” experiment, you will use a Vernier Digital Control Unit (DCU) to turn on a small DC fan when the temperature reading from the Stainless Steel Temperature Probe exceeds a threshold value.

Objectives

• Turn on a fan when your hand temperature exceeds a threshold value.
• Control a sensor-based system with the DCU.

Reference Experiment

• “A Hot Hand” – Experiment 1 from Middle School Science with Vernier