Hands-On-Physics

Heat & Temperature
Core Project:
ACTIVITIES

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• Consider Design Criteria
  What are the properties of a good incubator? Write down a list of your criteria for a "good" incubator.
• Construct the Incubator Chamber
  Your incubator model must start as some sort of container, which you can heat and maintain at a more-or-less constant temperature.
• Build the Heater Chimney
  A heater for your model incubator can be made using a low-voltage (tail-light) bulb, powered with a 12 Volt transformer. A chimney can be built which holds the bulb and allow its heat to be convected throughout the incubator box.
• Make the Thermostat
  A thermostat is just a switch which turns turns on and off as temperature changes. You can make a thermostat from a thermometer which uses a bimetallic spiral to turn a dial.
• Assemble the Incubator
  The thermostat must be built on the end of the incubator box, and the heater must be added. When the incubator has been assembled, you are ready to make the electrical connections between the thermostat, lamp, and transformer.
• Test the Incubator
  See whether your incubator works and do a preliminary evaluation.