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This week's LabZone activity
June 27, 2007
Can the Color of Your House Reduce Your Energy Bill?
Objective
In this experiment you will investigate if the color of a structure affects the temperature inside the structure when in different environments.
Introduction
How does the color of your house affect the temperature inside of it? Consider this explanation by Jill Morton at ColorMatters.com:
"When summer comes to your Hemisphere, can color reduce the energy consumption in your home or business? Consider this: Would you be cooler wearing a light shirt or a dark shirt on a hot sunny day? If your science teacher or parents didn't convince you, the scientific fact is that white reflects the radiant energy rays of the sun and black absorbs them.
"The same principle has a significant impact on a house. The hotter the roof, the hotter the rooms below. Light colored roofing and /or reflective coatings are like a white shirt for your house because they reflect radiant energy. Even a light gray hue is better than a blue or green." (Morton, 2006)
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| Jill Morton |
In this experiment you will test this idea by painting shoe boxes with light, medium, or dark colors to model painted houses. Then you will put the boxes in warm and cool environments and measure the temperature inside each box. Will color matter?
Experimental Procedure and Additional Information
Used with permission. Copyright © 2002-2007 Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation. All rights reserved.
Sohn, Emily. 2005. Smart windows. Science News for Kids (Dec. 14). Available at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20051214/Feature1.asp .
______. 2004. Cold house, hot house, green house. Science News for Kids (Oct. 20). Available at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20041020/Feature1.asp .
For more science project ideas, go to http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/areas_of_science.shtml .
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