Insulation is an important part of the building process; we insulate our homes, schools and businesses to conserve energy. Insulation helps to help us cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Students are asked to design an insulating box, one that would keep ice cubes from melting. Each group was given these materials:

Question

~ Cardboard box
~Gallon plastic ziplock bag
~Roll of tape
~Gram balance
Groups were also provided with an assortment of insulation panels:
~cardboard
~styrofoam
~cotton batting
~6 sheets of newspaper
~bubble wrap
Each group added ice cubes to the plastic bag until they had measured 300 grams of ice. The bag and ice were placed inside the cardboard box and then insulation panels were taped on all six sides. The students left the boxes, untouched and closed, over night.

The next morning, each group opened their containers. Any water found in the plastic bag was poured into a beaker and the remaining ice cubes were placed on the balance. The students' results can be seen here:



Material Mass of Ice before (g) Mass of Ice after (g)
Cardboard 300 180
Newspaper 300 150
Styrofoam 300 285
Bubble wrap 300 230
Cotton batting 300 230


Imagine that your only choice for insulation is newspaper. You MUST keep this ice frozen for more than eight hours. Explain how you could modify this design, using newspaper as an insulating material, to produce more effective results.

Responses
A Add many more layers of newspaper on all sides of the box.Add many more layers of newspaper on all sides of the box.
B Put more ice cubes in the plastic bag before sealing the box.Put more ice cubes in the plastic bag before sealing the box.
C Cover the box with many layers of newspaper but leave the top of the box open to let heat escape.Cover the box with many layers of newspaper but leave the top of the box open to let heat escape.
D Only wrap the newspaper, in many layers around the sides of the box. Leave the bottom and top uncovered.

Answer 1

To keep the ice frozen for more than eight hours using newspaper as the insulating material, the best option is:

A: Add many more layers of newspaper on all sides of the box.

Explanation:

• Adding more layers of newspaper on all sides of the box will increase the overall insulation. More layers provide better thermal resistance, reducing heat transfer into the box and keeping the ice colder for a longer period. Laying additional newspaper around the entire box helps trap cold air inside and slows down the warming of the ice cubes. Other options (B, C, and D) would not provide effective insulation, as they either fail to maximize insulation or allow for excessive heat transfer.