Insulating Clothing Material vs. Cold Weather: Which Insulating Clothing Material is Most Effective?

Overview

Objectives/Goals My objective is to determine which insulating clothing material is the most effective at preventing heat loss against cold weather. Methods/Materials Ten different insulating clothing materials of identical size with different insulating/air trapping capabilities were tested against a control. The controls was an uninsulated one liter glass jar of hot water with a starting temperature of 86.6 degrees C. that was placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of 5 degrees C. Temperature readings were taken at 15 minute intervals for one hour on ten trials. Another one liter glass jar of hot water was wrapped in the insulating material to be tested, placed in a cardboard box then put into the refrigerator with temperature readings taken as with the control for ten trials. All materials were tested in a similar fashion. Results Polartec consistently had the lowest heat loss rate with an average of 9.17 degrees C. lost in one hour. I also noticed that the natural insulating materials, i.e. wool, cotton, and down did not insulate as well as the synthetic materials, especially polyester. Plus, condensation of moisture affected the insulating properties. Conclusions/Discussion The insulating clothing material versus heat loss over time tests supported my hypothesis that the Polartec material was the most affective at preventing heat loss against cold weather. Also, polyester was the major component in the most effective insulating materials, so the way these three materials are fabricated in order to trap air is extremely important in insulating efficiency.

Competition history

• CSEF 2002 Physics & Astronomy · Entry J1543

Resources

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