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HOT PENNY EXPERIMENT

Solar Education ProjectGDSnonprofit.org

Can you heat water with a magnifying glass and a penny?

This experiment is conducted outside or through a sunny window.

Gather materials:2 magnifying lenses2 clear jars with lid2 thermometersWater2 copper pennies* TimerPencil (per student)Journal to record data (per student)* Pennies pre-1984 contain more copper.



Jar A With Magnifier

Jar B Control

Without Magnifier

Starting Temperature

Temperature after____ min



Make this chart in your journal.





Conducting the ExperimentWork with your teacher and group members to understand all the tools you will be using and how to conduct the experiment safely.

Do this experiment outside or use a sunny window.Keep thermometers in a shaded area when not in use.

1. Pour the same amount of water into each small jar. (It is best if you use no more than 1/2 Cup per jar.)

2. Place a penny into each jar of water.

3. Record the starting temperature of the water in each jar on the Starting Temperature line in the chart. Remove thermometer and place it in shaded area.



Conducting the Experiment

4. Put lids on jars. Set both jars in the sun. Use the

magnifying lens to continuously focus sunlight

only onto the penny in Jar A for five minutes.

5. After five minutes, remove the lids from each

jar, insert thermometers and measure the

temperature of the water in Jar A and Jar B.

Record temperatures in your journal chart.

6. Return thermometer to a shady spot. Return lids to jars. Focus the sunlight

again onto the penny in Jar A for another five minutes.

7. Repeat Step #5. Do this two more times.



In Your Notebook

Discuss the activity and data with your partner. Record your ideas in your journal.

1. Compare how the temperature changed in Jar A with how it changed in Jar B.

2. Which jar do you think absorbed the most sunlight? Explain your answer.

3. What effect do you think the magnifying lens had on the temperature of the water?

4. Explain how light was refracted as it passed through the magnifiying lens.

5. Why was a copper penny a good object to use to absorb sunlight and heat the water?

6. Using the data from your table, create a line graph with time plotted on the x axis and

temperature plotted on the y axis.

7. What have you learned by doing this experiment? What conclusions can you make?



ExtensionCreate a different experiment to test a new variable such as colored water, adding black color in jar, multiple magnifiers, multiple pennies, a conductor other than a penny, a darkened penny vs regular penny, etc.


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hot penny experiment...hot penny experiment solar education project gdsnonprofit.org conducting the...

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