A novel way of demonstrating radiant heating

Description

Cold heater and duck The rubber duck used in the demonstration is temperature sensitive. It changes colour when it gets hotter. When placed in hot water the duck went from black to red.

Instead of doing the traditional demonstrations for the heating effect of radiation, I decided to try using the duck. The images show that the demonstration worked well and the result was very vivid.

Comments

Duck bathed in the radiation from the heater The pupils were initially amused
and then intrigued by the appearance of the rubber duck during the demonstration. Some of the students were linking their observations with previous work on how night and day arises. Eventually all students were able to make the final deduction that
radiation from a hot object travels as rays in the same way as light, hence accounting for the appearance
of the duck.

Health and Safety

Make sure that you place the duck at a suitable distance from the radiation lamp, to prevent it getting a roasting!

Source of ducks

You can buy colour changing ducks from the Baby Bath Shop.

Last updated: 15 December 2007