National Teacher Enhancement Project
| Middle School Home Energy
Audit Information for Lighting Dilemma Experiment
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Rationale:
This laboratory activity is designed to provide
students with a simple, yet effective, introduction to power
use. The experiment is centered on the comparison of different
power light bulbs and different types of light bulbs (incandescent,
fluorescent, compact fluorescent, halogen, etc.) with respect
to the amount of light produced compared to the power used by
each. This approach not only permits the discussion of basic
concepts related to energy, work, and power, but also allows
the introduction of efficiency as a concept. In the larger scope
of this site as a whole, this specifically allows connections
to the home energy audit and proposals for energy-saving measures.
From a more global perspective, this hands-on
activity provides a gateway to student designed experimentation.
Students should be encouraged to propose questions or dilemmas
of their own and, subsequently, design experiments to investigate
and possibly solve their own issues.
Safety Note:
SHOCK
HAZARD!!! MAKE CERTAIN BEYOND ALL
DOUBT THAT LIGHT SOCKETS, WIRING, AND BULBS ARE SAFE!!!
INSTRUCT STUDENTS ON THE PROPER AND
SAFE WAYS OF HANDLING THE MATERIALS THEY WILL BE USING.
SUPERVISE STUDENTS AT ALL TIMES DURING
THIS ACTIVITY.
Tips for Success
- Use a variety of light bulbs. The
greater the variance in power rating and light bulb type, the
wider the range of student data, thus allowing for more stimulating
discussion of the results.
- If possible use power meters (such as "Watts
Up" meters) to measure the actual demand of each bulb. If
such devices are not available, use the listed ratings for the bulbs
(note that an assumption as to power usage is being
made here).
- Use any type of safe light socket
for this experiment. Inexpensive clip lamps from a hardware store
or old lamps with the light shades removed are fine.
- Ideally, this experiment should be conducted
in a completely dark room. However, if this is not possible instruct
the students to keep ambiant light as constant
as possible to prevent error in their results.
- Depending on the type of light meters you
use, the distance from the surface of the light bulb and the
light meter may need modification. Simply adapt the distance
to suit your particular situation.
- Light spectra may be separated using inexpensive
spectragraph glasses (often called "rainbow" glasses
by students), inexpensive diffraction gratings, or hand-held
spectascopes. Most of these items are available from science
suppliers or even novelty stores. These devices simply break
light from a single source into component spectra (small bands
of discreet wavelengths).
- There are specialized light bulbs
produce unusal spectra. Experiement with some exotic
bulbs to see if certain colors are enhanced or absent.
Activity Links:
Student Page
Printable Data Sheet
Created for the Fermilab
LInC program sponsored by Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory Education
Office and Friends
of Fermilab, and funded by United
States Department of Energy, Illinois
State Board of Education, North
Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium which
is operated by North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory (NCREL), and the National
Science Foundation.
Authors: Sue Emmons, Powell Midddle School, Littleton, CO; Kevin Lindauer, Baker Middle School, Denver, CO; Janet Stellema, Monarch K-8, Louisville, CO; John Sepich, Scott Carpenter Middle School, Westminster, CO; Edited by Marge Bardeen NTEP II Project PI.
Webmaster: ed-webmaster@fnal.gov
Created: September 9, 1998 revised July 30, 2001
URL: /ntep/f8/projects/nrel/teachlightlab.html