Energy Efficient Windows

Have you ever wondered why rooms with thick curtains tend to stay warmer in the
winter? If youre interested in reducing your familys carbon footprint or simply want
to help your folks save a little money, then knowing how to insulate your windows is
really important! Which type of window covering will keep a room the warmest?
Problem:
Which model window solution will keep a room the warmest?
Materials

Four small square cardboard boxes of the same size

Four 1-liter bottles of water

Four inexpensive thermometers

Plastic wrap

Thin curtain material

Heavy, insulated curtain material

Ruler

Pencil

Scissors

Tape

Small funnel

Double-sided sticky tape

Duct tape or packing tape

Cooking pot

Stove

Water

Notebook and pen

Procedure:

1.
Cut a large window into the same side of each of three of the cardboard
boxes. Each window should be the same size, so you'll want to use the ruler to
measure and mark with a pencil before cutting. Do not cut a window in the fourth
boxthis box will model a room that has no windows.
2.
Cover the inside of your windows with plastic wrap, taping it into place on the
inside of the box.
3.
Cut curtains from the two types of curtain material that will completely cover
your plastic wrap window. Secure the thinner curtain material in place with doublesided sticky tape over the inward-facing surface of one of the boxs windows. On the
next boxs window, secure the heavier insulated curtain material in the same way.
For the third box, leave the plastic wrap window unadorned.
4.
Pour the bottles of water from the plastic bottles into the pot and ask a parent
to bring the pot to a boil. Allow the water to cool slightly so it wont scald if it
splashes on you.
5.
With your parents help, use the funnel to pour the hot water back into each
of the bottles so that about the same amount of water is in each bottle. Some water
may have evaporated when you boiled it, so the bottles will not be completely full.
6.
Insert a thermometer into each bottle and record the temperature reading in
your notebook.
7.

Remove the thermometers from the bottles.

8.
Place each bottle into a box and seal each box closed with duct tape. Leave
the boxes outside in the evening, preferably at a time when the sun is setting.
Remember, were trying to determine how much heat each box loses, so we dont
want the boxes to cook in the sun.
9.
After three hours, open the boxes and take a temperature reading for each of
the bottles. Remember to record the results each time you take a reading.
10.
What do you notice about how long the bottles stay warm? Which boxes are
more efficient than others at keeping the heat inside the bottle?
Results
Any type of window allows heat to escape, so the box without any window at all
should have retained the most heat. However, for the boxes with windows, a
heavier fabric helps retain heat better than a thinner one. The box with no curtain
should have lost the most heat.

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Energy Efficient
Windows

MEMBERS:
1.Jamerson Reeve
Lao
2.Jeremee Cayde
3. Sean Ewwey Ong
Hong Ko