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PPhysicsS3 to S6Building construction
Building lab: a cool classroom or a hot one?
Under an iron roof, afternoon lessons can be too hot to learn. Design a classroom that stays comfortable without air conditioning.
LevelS3 to S6 (and IGCSE)
TimeAbout 35 min
You useHeat transfer, Q = U A ΔT, graphs
PriceFree: no account
🎯 Aim
To investigate how roofs, walls, windows, ventilation and shade affect the temperature inside a building during the day.
You will learn to
- Explain conduction, convection and radiation in buildings.
- Calculate heat flow with Q = U A ΔT.
- Explain thermal mass and insulation.
- Design a comfortable, low-cost classroom.
🧭 What to do
- Start with Iron sheets, no ceiling: read the hottest temperature inside.
- Change the Roof, then the Walls: compare the red line.
- Try the Ventilation and Shade trees options.
- Find a design that stays below 28 °C all day.
- Answer the questions with the class data.
- Write your conclusion and download your lab report.
📋 The data
Temperatures measured in two classrooms of the same school on a sunny day.
🧠 Investigate: answer from the data
Type your answer and tap Check. Use 💡 Hint first; open the method only when you are stuck.
➕ Get more from this experiment
📝 Free
Print the worksheet (button above), download the data, and save your report. Teachers can project this page in class.
📦 Premium Lab Pack
1 000 RWF
- Practical worksheet: measure temperatures in your school buildings
- Heat flow and design problems
- Teacher guide and answer key
- Exam-style questions with marking scheme
👩🏫 For teachers
Use it as a practical when apparatus is missing, as homework, or as a project. Free lesson plans help you plan, teach and assess.
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