How Does Color Affect Heating by Absorption of Light?

Difficulty
Time Required	Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites	None
Material Availability	Readily available
Cost	Low ($20 - $50)
Safety	Adult supervision required for drilling jar lids.

Abstract

Why is it more comfortable to wear light-colored clothes on a hot summer day? Why wear a dark-colored jacket for early-morning fishing on a cold lake? How much difference can it make? Here's a project where you can quantify how much difference color makes for absorbing heat.

Objective

The goal of this project is to see how the color of an object affects how much heat it absorbs when exposed to incandescent light.

Credits

Andrew Olson, Ph.D., Science Buddies

Sources

• This idea is from an entry to the 2007 San Mateo County science fair (author's name not provided).