Infrared (IR) Thermometer Master

Infrared (IR) Thermometer

A thermometer measures the temperature of objects. An infrared thermometer can do so remotely by measuring the amount of infrared radiation leaving an object. A red-colored laser directs the user to the object being measured. This is a safe way to measure the temperature of objects that are very high off the floor or very hot.

Operating Instructions

1. Aim the IR thermometer at the object you wish to measure. 2. Squeeze the button on the handle with your finger, holding it down briefly. 3. The thermometer will measure the temperature of the object at which you aim. The further away you are from the object, the less likely it is you are measuring an exact point, but the area near the point. Try and stand as close as possible. 4. To be certain you are measuring what you think you are measuring, depress the laser button and squeeze the trigger button on the handle again. The laser will show you the object you are measuring. 5. To change from °C to °F or °F to °C, press the °C/°F button. 6. In a dark room, press the backlight button to illuminate the LCD display. 7. The thermometer will turn itself off when left alone.

ºC/ºF Button Backlight Button

Laser Selector Button Squeeze this button to take the temperature.

Back View Front View Left Side Right Side

Lasers and Eyeballs: What’s the Big Deal?

You’ve been told over and over again, don’t focus a laser directly in someone’s eyes. But why is this an issue? The reason is because laser light is unlike most light with which you are familiar. The word laser is an acronym, meaning Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In a nutshell, lasers are produced when specific substances are energized, and the laser light is the result. Lasers are intense for two reasons. First, the light from a laser is only one wavelength, or color, of light. Most light sources you see, even colored bulbs, are a range of wavelengths. Lasers emit only one specific wavelength. Second, the light from a laser is focused and aligned and can be directed across great distances, even to the moon! Because of the intensity of the light from a laser, it can at best cause “flash blindness” and temporarily blind a person, and at worst can cause permanent damage to the retina, the part of the eye that detects light and transmits the light information to the nerves in the eye.

Plug Loads

&Background

Aside from refrigeration, plug loads (electrical devices) account for about 27 percent of a home’s electricity use and almost 22 percent of the electricity used in schools. Plug loads include any devices that plug into an electrical outlet, such as refrigerators, microwaves, computers, printers, gaming systems, TVs, small appliances, clocks, etc. This activity helps students learn how much energy and money those devices consume, and helps them begin to think about strategies for reducing their electricity consumption.

Objectives

ƒStudents will be able to use a spreadsheet and input formulas into it. ƒStudents will be able to measure an electrical device’s electricity use.  Time

ƒ1-2 class periods, depending on student experience and skill level  Materials

ƒKill A Watt® meter ƒStopwatch or timer ƒComputer spreadsheet program ƒStudent Guide, page 27

2Preparation

ƒGather a variety of devices used in school, or if you’d rather focus on home energy use, at home. ƒReview the use of the Kill A Watt® meter. ƒIf necessary, move things around to make electrical outlets more accessible to students.

Procedure

1. Review the use of a Kill A Watt® meter with students, projecting the master as needed. 2. Explain that students will be gathering data on devices by measuring the power they draw when in use and using that data to calculate their electrical energy consumption and the cost of that energy. 3. Show students the safe way to unplug and plug in devices with the meter. 4. Allow students enough time to gather data on enough devices around the room. If there are devices that cannot be unplugged, have them use the data on the Underwriter Laboratories nameplate (typically found on the back or side of an appliance) and the calculation, power = voltage x current. The voltage in U.S. outlets is 120 V. 5. Devices that have a short run time, like an electric pencil sharpener, should be timed to get the amount of time they are used. Students should make their best guess about the total amount of time they run in a day. 6. If students are setting up their own spreadsheets, tell them what you want them to include, and give them time to set the spreadsheet up and input the formulas. If they are focusing on home energy use, tell them to use the data they have collected with devices at school for power consumption, but the number of each and time run should be for their own homes. 7. If students are using a prepared spreadsheet, show them where the file has been saved so they can access it, and be prepared to coach them in how to navigate around the spreadsheet. 8. Discuss the results with students and brainstorm ways to save energy with plug loads.

Plug Loads Spreadsheet

A sample spreadsheet, with all of the calculations for several examples, is available for download at shop.NEED.org/products/plug-loads. You may choose to distribute it to students for them to use, or you may want it for yourself for reference. To differentiate this lesson, you can make a list of your expectations on one tab of a spreadsheet file, then have varying levels of the spreadsheet built for your students according to their ability level. Capable students could be given a blank tab, moderately capable students can be given the first few rows of a spreadsheet, and the least capable students could be given the sample spreadsheet to use to input their data.

Plug Load Example

Existing

Average Electricity Cost = $ 0.11 per kWh Average CO₂ Emitted per kWh = 1.6 lbs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Equipment1 Quantity In Use2 Typical Use, Hours/Day Wattage Cycle Time3 Monthly kWh5 Months/ Year6 Yearly kWh Annual Cost Each Total Annual Cost Annual CO2 Emissions (lbs)

Coffee Maker 25 3 1,200 33% 594 9 5,346 $23.52 $588 8,554 Computer&Monitor 90 7 115 100% 1,449 9 13,041 $15.94 $1,435 20,866 Laptop/Tablet4 150 8 44 100% 1,056 9 9,504 $6.97 $1,045 15,206 Fan 10 3 115 100% 69 9 621 $6.83 $68 994 Desk Lamp 30 5 60 100% 180 9 1,620 $5.94 $178 2,592 Microwave 15 0.5 1,200 100% 180 9 1,620 $11.88 $178 2,592 Digital Projector 25 5 250 100% 625 9 5,625 $24.75 $619 9,000 Small Fridge (2.5-6.4 cu.ft.) 20 24 125 33% 602 9 5,417 $29.80 $596 8,668 Television 25 1 80 100% 40 9 360 $1.58 $40 576 DVD player 25 1 10 100% 5 9 45 $0.20 $5 72 Space Heater 15 7 1,500 20% 630 4 2,520 $18.48 $277 4,032 Window AC (8,000 Btu/hr) 3 8 900 50% 216 4 864 $31.68 $95 1,382 Window AC (12,000 Btu/hr) 3 8 1,200 50% 288 4 1,152 $42.24 $127 1,843 Cold Drink Vending Machine 6 24 800 50% 1,751 12 21,012 $385.23 $2,311 33,620 Other - -

TOTAL 7,685 68,748 $7,562 109,996

Notes:

Sample Spreadsheet Description 1. If necessary, change input in yellow for equipment you are analyzing. You can change other numbers as needed. 2. Quantities shown are for a typical, 25-classroom, 100,000 sq.ft., K-12 school. ƒColumns 1-5 contain areas for students to input description, number, cycle time, and wattage of the devices. The wattage can be taken 3. Amount of time the appliance actually runs (e.g., a coffee maker burner is only on ~33% of the time) 4. Laptop wattage denotes when tablet or notebook is on and charging. A fully charged battery will yield less wattage. from the UL label on the device if the Kill A Watt® meter cannot be used. 5.The number of days per month an item is used has been adjusted where applicable. For example, the digital ƒThe non-shaded columns contain formulas that will make those calculations automatically as students add numbers to the other columns. projector may only be used on weekdays, while a refrigerator must remain on at all times, everyday. 6. Assumes most items are unplugged and unused for any breaks (summer, etc.). ƒIf students need more space, select a row, right click, and choose “insert.” Repeat for the number of rows needed. The formatting and formulas will copy down from the previous row. ƒIf you decide to have students calculate carbon dioxide emissions, add another column. The 2018 average emissions is 1.6 pounds of CO2 per kilowatt-hour used.

Lesson 3 – Climate Change and Its Impacts

&Background

This lesson discusses the basics about climate change. The greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases and their origins, and how anthropogenic sources are accelerating the greenhouse effect are all discussed. The health and regional impacts of climate change are introduced, too, and students are challenged to consider how different groups of people in different areas might be experiencing greater climate change effects.

Objectives

ƒStudents will be able to identify the basic causes of climate change. ƒStudents will be able to explain how climate change indicators are emerging. ƒStudents will be able to identify how climate change impacts the health of people. ƒStudents will be able to project how climate change will impact various groups of people and geographic regions.  Time

ƒ6-7 class periods  Materials

ƒ600 mL Beakers ƒ250 mL Erlenmeyer flask ƒRubber stoppers with hole ƒVinyl tubing, 3/16” diameter ƒClip lights ƒRulers ƒDigital thermometers ƒMasking tape ƒAlka-Seltzer® tablets ƒSafety glasses ƒWater (room temperature) ƒ1000-1100 Lumen bulb, equivalent to 75 watt incandescent ƒBall of yarn or string ƒScissors ƒHole punch ƒCardstock ƒCorrugated cardboard box ƒTransparency film ƒClear packaging tape ƒBaking sheet or other tray ƒAssorted materials to simulate materials, such as: ƒAsphalt shingles – simulated asphalt ƒCeramic tiles – simulated concrete ƒVinyl folders – simulated vinyl siding

ƒBicycle tire tube – simulated rubber roofing ƒMoss – simulated green roof ƒLight fixture with heat light bulb ƒSoil, sand, and sod as desired ƒDigital thermometer ƒInfrared (IR) thermometer ƒBox cutter or utility knife ƒStudent Guide pages 13-16; 28-41 ƒCarbon Cycle master ƒGreenhouse Gases master

2Preparation

ƒGather materials needed for the activities. ƒPrepare digital copies of masters for projection.

Procedure

1. Introduce climate and differentiate it from weather. Explain that climate is the accumulated data set over large amounts of time, while weather measures what is happening in any given short time period, such as a day, a week, or several weeks. 2. Project the Carbon Cycle master. Show how carbon circulates through different reservoirs. 3. Project the Greenhouse Gases master. Explain that they all are able to absorb thermal energy in their bonds and release it slowly over time, and that the greenhouse effect is what keeps our planet warm at night. Point out the different man-made sources of greenhouse gases. 4. Introduce Greenhouse in a Beaker. Explain the activity and allow students enough time to complete it. 5. Introduce Carbon in My Life. Lead students through all of the worksheets and help them determine the size of their carbon footprints.

Discuss with the class the actions they listed on the action planner in the Student Guide. 6. Transition to the Mini Heat Island activity. Allow students enough time to construct their buildings and test them. When they have finished, ask students what they learned. What kinds of surfaces get hotter, faster? Which stay hotter, longer? What do these have in common? 7. Have students work on their concurrent project maps, by focusing on topography, outdoor air quality, and average family income. Add any other data sets you consider relevant to the unit and provide web sources for data.