Insulating a beaker and a

cardboard box.
Alejandro FND3
The experiment.
The experiment was to use two beakers with with 100ml of hot water and to put
one in an insulated cardboard box and one just left on a table. We could use more
cardboard, aluminium foil, cotton wool and/or bubble wrap. We had to measure
each of them once every minute for 10 minutes. We put a hole in the roof of the box
with a borer to put the thermometer in.
Apparatus needed
-Two beakers

-200ml of hot water

-a borer

-a cardboard box

-more cardboard, bubble wrap, cotton wool, and/or aluminium foil

-Two thermometers

-2 chronometres.
Our version
We chose to use aluminium on the roof to reflect the heat back in the house. We
used cotton wool closest to the beaker to trap air. We also used aluminium to put
on the side of the house. We did not put anything on the outside, because we
wanted to trap the air inside. In fact, it worked. The temperature in 10 minutes was
more stable than when the beaker was outside of the isolated box.
As we had done research on our investigation materials before doing the
experiment, we know that the pros and cons of our choices are: Cotton wool: It is
good for the planet, it has no chemicals, good thermal conductivity, sound
insulation. Does not absorb water. Aluminium: Durable, easy to install, no impact by
humidity, does not degrade, expensive. Our design had one layer of cardboard
already there, then more in the inside, aluminium, and cotton wool around the
beaker.
Picture and Graph
Research of better insulators.
-Isoperl: Isoperl has an air gap of 2 cm to trap and stock the air. It gives more space
for the wood to “breathe”. It gives less thermal conductivity. Economically it is
interesting, as it is less expensive than many insulators. It can also work until

-Cork boards: Corkboards are good insulators and they are cheap and easy to
install for non-professionals. They have 3.0 insulation per inch. They are good floor
and roof insulators.

A picture of cardboard insulation

Citations

https://www.hunker.com/13415739/what-are-good-heat-insulators (this citation could

not be found by easy bib).
“Cork Insulation: Applications, Properties, Advantages & Cost.” Insulation,
www.insulation-info.co.uk/insulation-material/cork-insulation.

User, Super. GIIC, www.giic.lv/en/component/content/article/91-pirmsinkubacija/332-thermeko-warm-and-confortable.

“Cardboard Insulation Panels.” Critical Concrete, 27 Nov. 2019, criticalconcrete.com/producing-cardboard-insulation/.