Div C – High School
NC Essential Standards Alignment:
See the National Event Manual
Event Score Sheet:
National Event Page:
Splash goggles, device, and something to write with.
This event is a lab event with a written test component. Students must build a device that can insulate water in a beaker to a known cooling rate. During device testing, students will take a written test on thermodynamics concepts.
Each team may bring one 3-ring binder of any size containing any information that they want to bring. They may also bring tools, supplies, something to write with and 2 calculators.
Each team must impound in advance their insulating device, 2 identical unaltered standard 250mL beakers (glass or plastic) and copies of graphs or tables for the event supervisors. They cannot compete in the device-testing piece without proper chemical splash goggles.
High score wins. Points are awarded based on 5 variables outlined in the rules.
Make sure that your box is the right size and that the hole for the thermometer and the height of the beaker match the construction specs – measure it often!
Here’s a walk through on how this event will run.
Here’s an idea for building an insulating device.