This week, the Physics students at Roberto Clemente Community Academy are learning about the processes of conduction, convection, and radiation in order to build their own solar ovens to survive the zombie apocalypse. All quarter long, their learning has revolved around how to use science skills to prepare for this hypothetical (we hope!) crisis.
To prepare, students participated in two labs to learn more about convection: building a tea-bag rocket and examining water current movement. Students were able to explain how the process of convection is involved in creating a “rocket” that was created from only an empty tea bag and a lighter. Then, the students were able to visualize the movement of the ocean currents by dying different temperatures of water different colors and examining their movement and placement in the water tank.
Starting next week, the students will be able to use their knowledge of these processes to design and create their own solar ovens that can safely and efficiently cook food using only sunlight.