Solar showers

Solar showers

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
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Marking Student Responses
This task is about fair testing solar showers.

Question 1Change answer

On his school camp Kieran noticed that not all the solar showers bags were the same colour. He decided to set up an experiment to find out if the colour of the shower bag affected the temperature the water in it would increase by.

He chose two identical shower bags, one silver and one black, and decided he would record the temperature of the water from the shower bags.

How should he set up his experiment to make sure that it is a fair test?

Before writing your plan you should consider:

  • What needs to be the kept same.
  • Where he could put the bags.
  • How he could measure the temperature.
  • How he could record the temperature.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper and online.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Physical World
Keywords: 
physical inquiry, energy, solar energy, heat, temperature, fair testing
Description of task: 
Task: Plan a fair test to see which of two solar showers of different colours heats up more. Assessment focus: controlling variables.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (08/1998)
Any 4 of:

  • Each bag to be filled with the same amount of water.
  • Each bag to be filled with water of the same temperature.
  • Bags placed in the same position (i.e., same sun conditions, same wind factor, on same surface).
  • Uses a standardised method for taking the temperature (i.e., at regular time intervals, same depth, same time lapse between withdrawing thermometer and reading temperature).
  • Repeat trials.
 4 correct – very difficult

3 correct – very difficult

2 correct – moderate

1 correct – easy