Students in Jessica Chastain’s 8th-grade Physical Science classes at Mason Creek Middle School recently took part in a Chocolate Lab as part of learning about thermal transfer methods.
Chastain said her students conducted experiments with chocolate to determine the difference between conduction, convection and radiation.
Students worked in teams to determine which method transferred heat more effectively in order to melt chocolate. A double boiler was used to show convection currents, a regular stove top was used for conduction, and a microwave was used for radiation. The students then tested the chocolate for consistency, cool down, and, of course, taste.
As a lab extension piece, students determined the caloric intake needed to sustain the body for one day based on the formula for mechanical energy (ME = PE + KE) for 2520 units of energy, Chastain said.
“I prepare many hands-on and real-world activities to try to get the kids engaged,” Chastain said.
She added: “The students learned there is some truth to the old saying, ‘You are what you eat!’”