Re: heat value in each color in sunlight - science demo doesn't work well

mack wrote:
For a high school science demonstration, I've made
up a panel of shallow boxes, each with a thermometer and different color internal back (white, black, red, yellow, green, blue) and put them in the window facing the sun.

snip 

Thanks Joe


Based on your description I assume that the "back" of the box faces the window and the box is located inside a room.

A few suggestions:
- Use individual boxes. This will minimize the transfer of heat between the boxes.
- Paper is a decent insulator. Use thin copper or aluminum as the back. Paint a thin layer of the appropriate color on the side facing the sun.
- Mount the thermometer securely to the back. Use a heat transfer paste.
- Locate the boxes outside as the window glass will attenuate certain wavelengths of light.

This looks like a fun experiment.  good Luck!
.