Insulation investigation

An image showing a heatmap of a person in a jacket

Source: © Tomorrow Lab LLC

Which material makes the warmest jacket? Investigate the insulating properties of various materials with this activity for ages 7–14

Textile technology is a fast developing area of material science. Many of our students will own smart textiles, from Teflon coated school shirts designed to repel stains, to socks enhanced with silver nanoparticles preventing smells. Use the smart textile context to investigate the insulating properties of various materials and determine which material makes the warmest jacket. This activity can be used alongside teaching thermal insulation in physics, with a science club or as an activity to generate and evaluate data.

Thanks for using the RSC’s education resources. You can view one resource per month as a visitor, or two resources per month when you’re logged in with a personal account.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more: 

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not a science teacher or technician based in the UK or Ireland? Don’t worry – you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.