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A Heat Transfer Experiment for Kids

You and your child can conduct some experiments about heat transfer using common items found in your home. Heat is a form of energy and transfers from an object of a higher temperature to an object of lower temperature by conduction. Some materials are better conductors than others. In this experiment, you will see that water is a better conductor than air. Explain the process of heat transfer to your child and see if he can apply what he learns to the results of the experiment.

Preparation
- You and your child will expose two balloons to the same heat source; one will pop and the other will not. To investigate how this can happen, you need two medium-size balloons, a spring-style clothespin, a candle, matches and safety goggles for you and your child. Let your child do as much of the experiment as possible. Have your child inflate one of the balloons and knot the neck. She should fill the second balloon with cold water until it reaches the size of a grapefruit, twist the neck and use the clothespin to hold it closed.
Experiment Part 1
- Put on your safety goggles. Have you child hold the inflated balloon with his arm stretched all the way out in front of him. You should light the candle and slowly bring it toward the balloon, but do not touch the balloon with the flame. Your child should watch to see what happens when the flame comes close to the balloon. Have him tell you what he saw.
Experiment Part 2
- This time, tell your child to pick up the balloon filled with water and hold it neck side up. Tell her to remove the clothespin, untwist the neck of the balloon, blow in a puff of air, twist the neck of the balloon and put the clothespin back on the neck. Tell her to hold this balloon with her arm stretched out fully in front of her. Slowly bring the candle close to the balloon without touching the balloon and tell your child to watch what happens. Have her tell you what she saw.
What Happened?
- Ask your child if he knows why the first balloon started to melt or caught fire before it popped, while the second one only had some carbon on it. The answer involves the process of heat transfer. The first balloon took the full brunt of the heat because the air inside the balloon was not cool enough to significantly absorb any heat. The cool water in the second balloon was a good conductor of heat so the balloon never got hot enough to melt or catch fire.

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