STS A1 Class: Name:
Investigation
A1 Making your solar cooker
S T S activity
Related topics:
■ Temperature (1.1)
■ Conduction (2.1)
■ Convection (2.2)
■ Radiation (2.3)
■ Heat capacity (3.1)
■ Reflection of light (11.3)
■ lenses (11.6)
More on web:
Visit the About web page at
http://frugalliving.about.com/
cs/solarcooking/index.htm for
more information.
Reference:
• M. Aalfs, Principles of Solar
Box Cooker Design
(http://solarcooking.org/
sbcdes.htm)
• H. Virtanen, Designing and
Building Home Made
Focusing Solar Cookers
(http://www.cc.jyu.fi/
~hvirtane/cooker/)
40 New Physics at Work
Date:
Solar cooking is an environmental-friendly and cheap way of cooking food. It
is actually used in some parts of the world, such as some parts of the US
and Australia, where sunshine is plentiful. The idea is to collect and trap the
energy from the Sun in a ‘cooker’. Most professionally built cookers can
reach temperatures of over 100 ° C, i.e. hot enough to boil water.
In this STS activity, you are asked to design and
build a simple solar cooker which can fry an egg
(or increase the temperature of a can of water
(350 cm3) as high as possible). In your design,
you should pay particular attention to the
materials used for the cooker, its volume, its
colour, heat loss problems, costs, ease of use,
etc. The physics involved in the design
include heat transfer, heat capacity,
principles of greenhouse and possibly
mirrors and lenses.
Fig A1-1 An example of a solar cooker
Procedure
1 Sketch your solar cooker for frying an egg (or heating the can of
water) in Figure A1-2 (remember to label your diagram).
■ Write down the working principles of your design.
Ss' design should consider
1 how to maximize energy gain,
2 how to minimize energy loss, and
3 how to retain energy.
© Oxford University Press 2003
 Class: Name: Date: STS A1

Apparatus:

S T S activity
■ Aluminum foil Visit the photo gallery of The Solar Cooking Archive to see the various cooker
■ Tape designs around the world (http://www.solarcooking.org/gallery.htm). Here are
some examples (photo credit: Solar Cookers International):
■ Scissors
■ Newspaper
■ Food wrap
■ Paper cups
■ Construction paper
■ Other materials
■ Aluminium can (350 cm3)
Joe Radabaugh Roger Bernard Deris Jeannette
■ Thermometer

thermometer plasticine

water
(350 cm3) Al can

Fig A1-2

2 Build your solar cooker.

Note: The result will be 3 Test your cooker by putting it outdoors. Record the temperature of the
better on a sunny day in interior of the cooker (or the can of water) in Table A1–1.
summer.
■ Testing was done on ............................ (date) at ............................

(location) from ............................ (hh:mm) to ............................

(hh:mm).

Time / min 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Temperature / ° C
Sunshine* (S/M/W)
*Notes: S = strong sunshine M = medium sunshine W = weak or no sunshine

Table A1-1

4 Highest increase in temperature attained: ............................. ° C.

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 41

 STS A1 Class: Name: Date:

Teachers may arrange Discussion

S T S activity

group presentation in the

class 1 Keep a record of the designs of other groups:

Highest Design
increase in Other
Group
temperature Strength Weakness comments
attained / ° C

Table A1-2

42 New Physics at Work © Oxford University Press 2003

 Class: Name: Date: STS A1

2 How can your solar cooker be improved?

S T S activity
3 Suggest some possible ways to promote the use of solar cooker
(instead of electric or gas cooker) to your friends.

Discussion may be around

• the benefits to our environment

• the dependence on those limited energy sources (fossil fuel etc.)

• the change of life style

The basic principles of solar cookers are

sunlight
• directing .................................... to the food by means of reflection,

• absorbing the radiation,

internal
• retaining the .................................... energy.

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 43

 STS A2 Class: Name: Date:

Reading

A2 Earth’s life needs greenhouse effect

S T S activity

Related topics: Greenhouse effect is the mechanism that keeps the Earth warm. Thus, we
■ Temperature (1.1) cannot survive without it.
■ Heat and internal
energy (1.2)
■ Radiation (2.3)
■ Infra-red radiation
(11.1) With reference to Fig A2-1, read the following passage adapted from the
USA TODAY.

Earth’s life needs greenhouse effect

The term ‘greenhouse effect’
often means something bad to
the Earth’s future. Yet without
it, the Earth would be a cold
planet, with an average
temperature of around –18 ° C
rather than 15 ° C.
The Sun supplies the energy
that keeps the Earth warm
enough for life (arrow 1 in Fig
A2-1). Some solar energy is
reflected back into space by the
atmosphere (arrow 2) and the
Earth’s surface (arrow 3). The
rest is absorbed mainly by the
land and ocean of the Earth
(4 in Fig A2-1). When the Earth
warms up, it emits infra-red
radiation (arrow 5). Water
vapor, carbon dioxide and
other gases in the atmosphere
absorb some of the outgoing
infra-red radiation, and warm
up (6).
Being warm, these gases
radiate, too. They radiate in all
directions, including back to
the Earth (7). As a result, more
internal energy is stored in the
Earth’s system, and keeps it
warm. This process is often
called the greenhouse effect,
even though it doesn’t work
quite like a greenhouse.
The greenhouse effect itself
does not cause climate change;
it is the ‘enhanced’ greenhouse
effect that does. The extra
carbon dioxide and other gases
that we continuously release
into the atmosphere help
increase the internal energy it
contains when the incoming
and outgoing radiation are
balanced. These extra gases,
which are produced by the
burning of fossil fuels, are
called greenhouse gases.

(Adapted from Earth’s Life Needs ‘Greenhouse Effect’, USA TODAY

(Weather, 02/16/2001): http://www.usatoday.com/weather/
wnatgrn.htm.)

44 New Physics at Work © Oxford University Press 2003

 Class: Name: Date: STS A2

S T S activity
More on web: Sun Space
Visit HKO’s website at
http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo
1
/climat/greenhs/e_grnhse.ht
m for more information.
2

Teachers may use a

plastic bottle (bottom
removed) to explain the atmosphere
effect of the amount of
greenhouse gases on
Earth's temperature. 7
gas
It can be demonstrated molecules
greenhouse 6
that if the cap is tighter 3 gases
(more greenhouse gases
5
to trap energy), leakage
will decrease (less
outgoing infra-red
radiation), water level 4
Earth
increases (Earth's
temperature increases), Fig A2-1 Simplified diagram showing the incoming solar radiation and outgoing infra-
and it leads to resumption
red radiation of the Earth.
of leakage rate. The
system will reach
equilibrium with a higher
water level. Discussion
water tap (incoming
solar radiation) 1 Only about two third of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the
Earth. Account for the difference between the incoming solar radiation
rubber band
as marker and the net input of solar radiation.
water level (Earth's
temperature)
tightness of cap (amount Some incoming solar radiation is reflected by the Earth's surface and the atmosphere,
of greenhouse gases)

leakage (outgoing
infrated radiation) hence the net input of solar radiation is smaller than the incoming solar radiation.

Ts may choose, according

2 Normally the net incoming and outgoing radiation have the same
to their Ss, the following
key features to elaborate: value. What happens if the outgoing is less than the incoming?
1 Greenhouse gases do
The temperature of the Earth keeps rising.
not lead to infinite
increase in Earth's
temperature. 3 What happened to the temperature of the Earth’s system if the
2 At equilibrium, net amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increased?
transfer of radiation is
zero. The extra carbon dioxide will absorb the outgoing radiation and then radiate some of the

3 If there were no
energy back to the Earth. Hence the internal energy will be increased and the
greenhouse effect,
Earth's temperature
temperature rises.
would be very low.
4 It is not the
4 Suggest a process which could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in
greenhouse effect in
itself, but the the atmosphere.
equilibrium it achieved
actually affects Earth's Photosynthesis
life.
© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 45
 STS A2 Class:
S T S activity
GHG maintains a
balance between energy
incoming from the sun
and that outgoing into
space. More GHG would
trap more energy on the
surface of the Earth.
46 New Physics at Work
Name: Date:
5 Estimate roughly how much energy is needed to raise the temperature
of the atmosphere by 1 ° C. Assume no energy loss to the surroundings.
Given: mass of air in atmosphere  5 × 1018 kg
specific heat capacity of air  1000 J kg–1 ° C–1
E = mc∆ T
= 5 × 1018 × 1000 × 1
≈ 5 × 1021J
Comment
The surface of the Earth is warmer than it would be if the Earth had no
atmosphere. Three students are discussing about why it is so.
Comment on their explanation.
Amy The atmosphere acts like a The atmosphere acts like a
Betty
blanket. It reduces the Earth’s mirror. It reflects radiation back
energy loss to space. to the Earth, so that the energy
is trapped.
Candy
The atmosphere acts like a heater. The Earth’s
surface is warmer than it would be because it
has an extra radiator beside the Sun.
Betty is wrong. The atmosphere absorbs the radiation and radiates because it is heated up. It
is not reflecting the radiation.
Candy is wrong. If the atmosphere acted so, the temperature would keep rising continuously.
Amy is correct.
The Earth’s atmosphere allows radiation from the Sun to enter, but the
water
.................................... carbon dioxide
vapour, .................................... and other gases in it prevent
much of the infra-red radiation from the Earth’s surface from escaping. As a
result, the Earth’s surface is warmer than it would be in the absence of the
greenhouse
atmosphere. This is called the .................................... effect and the gases that
greenhouse
traps the infra-red radiation are called .................................... gases. The
greenhouse
increasing amount of .................................... gases in the atmosphere from the
burning of fossil fuels is causing an increased greenhouse effect that would
warming
lead to global ................................... .
© Oxford University Press 2003
 Class: Name: Date: STS A3

Issue

A3 Emission of greenhouse gases in

S T S activity
Hong Kong

Related topics:
■ Temperature (1.1)
■ Heat and internal
energy (1.2)
■ Radiation (2.3)
How do human activities intensify the greenhouse effect? Coal and oil are
fossil fuels, which are formerly living things. Burning of these fuel releases a
large amount of carbon dioxide which was previously stored as fossils
underground.

Part 1 What are greenhouse gases?

From fertilizers
and burning of
coal and oil
From air
pollution Nitrous
oxide (N2O)
Ozone (O3)
(氧化亞氮)
(臭氧) 8%
6%

Carbons dioxide (CO2)

From rice growing,
(二氧化碳) 50%
animal waste, Methane (CH4)
swamps and (甲烷) 16% From burning coal and
landfills oil, and the removal of
vegetation

Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCS) (氯氟碳) 20%

From air conditioners,

refrigerators and
aerosols (噴霧器)

Fig A3-1 Greenhouse gases and their contribution to global warming. (Source: Global Ecology
Handbook)

Questions
1 Which is the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide

2 How would human activities cause the increasing release of this

greenhouse gas?.

Burning of coal and oil, removal of vegetation and using aerosols containing CFCs

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 47

 STS A3 Class: Name: Date:

Part 2 Emission in Hong Kong

S T S activity

Read the following article, and answer the questions.

Reference: See LegCo Greenhouse Gases Emission in HK

committee paper
‘Greenhouse Gas’ According to a study on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission control in
[CB(1)1658/00-01(06)] 1998, Hong Kong is a small emitter of GHG, contributing only
(3 July 2001)
about 0.18% to global emissions.
at LegCo’s web site
(http://www.legco.gov.hk/) Emissions of CO2 Emissions of CO2
under: Committes > United States 5,480
Central and South
China
Panels > Environmental America 4%
Russia
Affairs > Papers > Air Africa 4%
Japan United States
pollution-related issues India Mid East 4% 25%
Germany

United Kingdom
Developing
Asia 12% Canada 2%
Canada
Italy
China 12% Mexico 2%
South Korea

Easten Europe Western Europe

Taiwan 3% 16%
Turkey
FSU 10%
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 Japan and Australia 6%
million tonnes per year

Fig A3-2 Emissions of CO2 (source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

The report pointed out that, in 1997,

Note: The two power
companies, especially Hong
Kong Electric Company Ltd.,
still uses coal as its main fuel
for power generation,
producing more GHG than
natural gas fired power
stations.
carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main source
of GHG (over 83%) in Hong Kong.
Electricity generation and transport
accounted for nearly 64% and 24% of the
total CO2 emission respectively.
Fig A3-3 Lamma Power Station
The study also found that the use of
nuclear energy in Daya Bay Nuclear
Power Station in 1994 and natural gas in
the Black Point Power Station and the
migration of manufacturing industries
out of Hong Kong have reduced the
emissions since 1996. However, due to
the expanding population and growing Fig A3-4 The Daya Bay

economy, the projected GHG emission Nuclear Power Station

by 2010 would be 34% higher than the
1990 level, if no further actions were
taken.

(Source: ‘Greenhouse Gas’ of the LegCo Panel on Environmental

Affairs, 3 July 2001)

48 New Physics at Work © Oxford University Press 2003

 Class: Name: Date: STS A3

Discussion

S T S activity
1 What are greenhouse gases (GHG)? What are the effects of GHG on
the environment?

GHG are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere that occur naturally or result from

human activities. They tend to absorb and re-emit infra-red radiation, thus trapping the

energy in the atmosphere. The increase of GHG in the atmosphere will lead to rise in

global average surface temperature. This would have an adverse effect on climate.

2 What is the main source of GHG in Hong Kong?

The main source of GHG in Hong Kong is CO2 which comes from the coal-

fired power stations. It accounts for 64% of total emission. Other sources include

emission from motor vehicles and factories.

3 How does the emission of GHG in Hong Kong compare with other
places?
USA emitted about 20%
of global GHG in 1997. The emission is of a low level—accounts for only 0.18% of global GHG.

4 The emission of GHG in Hong Kong has been dropping since 1994 but
has been rising again since 2000. Why?

The fall in emission of GHG since 1996 was due to (a) the opening of the Daya Bay

Nuclear Power Station in 1994, (b) the opening of a natural gas-fired power station,

and (c) the relocation of factories to north of the border of Hong Kong. (a) and (b) led

to the reduction of power generation by other coal-fired stations. Nuclear power

stations do not release GHG and natural gas-fired power stations release very little.

The rise since 2000 was due to increase in population and economic activities.

5 What can be done to reduce the emission of GHG in Hong Kong? Can
this be carried out easily?

The emission of GHG can be reduced by (a) building more nuclear power stations,

and (b) converting coal-fired power stations to use natural gas. (a) will almost certainly

be met with resistance from the public due to the potential hazards of nuclear power,

and (b) will be a costly exercise and will lead to increase in electricity charge which

the public may not accept.

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 49

 STS A3 Class: Name: Date:

Part 3 International co-operation

S T S activity

The success of controlling the emission of greenhouse gases depends on

the concerted effort of all countries. However, most governments in the
world are not taking it seriously. In the 1997 Earth Summit (地球峰會),
representatives of the countries finally signed a treaty. The developed
countries agreed to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. But will
they keep their promise?

Fig A3-4

Kyoto Protocol (京都草約)(1997)

The Kyoto Protocol, signed by 159 countries, came into effect in
1997. The countries agree that:

• by 2012, the industrial countries have to cut the emission 5.2%

below the level in 1990.

• developing countries do not have to make the same reduction

unless they are willing to.

• each country has a quota for the amount of CO2 produced.

Countries can sell their excess quotas to those that have already
produced CO2 beyond the quota.

• countries with dense forests will get an allowance in their

quotas because trees absorb CO2.

(Source: Time Magazine, 22 December 1997)

Discussion
1 What is the objective of Kyoto Protocol 1997?

To reduce CO2 emission among developed and developing countries.

50 New Physics at Work © Oxford University Press 2003

 Class: Name: Date: STS A3

2 Are China and USA developed countries or developing countries?

S T S activity
China: developing country

USA: developed country

The US is responsible 3 Do you think the protocol is reasonable? Is it both good to the
for about 25% of global economic development of the poorer countries and environmental-
emissions of CO2, the
friendly? Express you view.
main pollutant covered
by Kyoto.
Express opinion freely, such as:
In 2001 the US
President Bush objected The terms of the Kyoto Protocol were more of a compromise of all the very different
to implement the
protocol signed by the demands and opinions so that most countries could accept. The protocol could not cater
ex-President Bill Clinton
on the grounds that it for both economic development and environmental protection in the developing
concentrated on
emissions from countries.
industrialized countries,
and refused at this stage
to seek to limit pollution
from developing nations.

temperature
Global warming refers to the gradual increase in the average ..............................
of the Earth due to the greenhouse effect which is caused by increased
carbon dioxide , CFC, and other pollutants released by human
levels of ....................................
activities.

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 51

 STS A4 Class:
Issue
A4 Global warming crisis
S T S activity
Related topics:
■ Temperature (1.1)
■ Heat and internal
energy (1.2)
■ Radiation (2.3)
■ Melting (3.1)
Animation: Visit USA
TODAY http://www.usatoday.
com/graphics/news/gra/
gwarming/flash.htm to
review how global warming
occurs.
52 New Physics at Work
Name: Date:
Human activities have upset the natural balance of atmospheric gases.
There is an increase in carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the air. The
increased greenhouse effect leads to global warming.
Part 1 A piece of news
Read the following newspaper clipping and answer the questions.
Antarctic icebergs meltdown
Global warming is getting more noticeable. Data shows that the
temperature of Antarctica (南極洲) has been rising since the 1940s,
about 0.5 ° C every 10 years. An iceberg (冰山) on the eastern shore
of the Antarctica has collapsed within just two months. The
collapsed iceberg measured 3250 km2. This is about three times the
total area of Hong Kong and the total area of collapsed icebergs in
the past seven years.
‘If people do not change their ways of living, the outcome of global
warming will become worse. The polar ice sheets will keep on
melting. This will cause the sea level to rise. Flooding will occur in
coastal lowland. Cities and countries on the coast will be affected.
Global warming will also change rainfall distribution patterns,’ an
expert warned. New York has been suffering from drought (旱災)
for some time. Rainfall is only two-thirds of the normal amount.
This may also be caused by global warming.
Fig A4-1 An iceberg
(20 March 2002)
© Oxford University Press 2003
 Class: Name: Date: STS A4

Discussion

S T S activity
1 Describe the climate changes in Antarctica during the past decades.

The temperature of Antarctica has been rising, about 0.5 °C every 10 years since the

1940s.

2 How does the above change in climate affect the icebergs in

Antarctica and the coastal cities?

The rise in temperature melts the icebergs in Antarctica and raises the sea level.

Cities and countries in coastal low-lying areas will be flooded.

3 Estimate roughly the energy transferred in order to completely melt a

typical iceberg (about 5 × 105 kg) at 0 ° C. Assume no energy loss to the
surroundings.

Given: specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 3.34 × 105 J kg–1

E = mL = 5 × 105 × 3.34 × 105 = 1.67 × 1011 J

More on web: Visit the 4 Besides the impact mentioned in Question 2, what is the other impact
U.S. Environmental Protection of global warming?
Agency http://yosemite.epa.
gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/ Global warming will also change rainfall distribution patterns. Some places will be too
content/impacts.html to
understand the impacts of wet or too dry, such as New York mentioned in the above news report. This affects
global warming.

Visit the Food and Agriculture people’s daily lives and causes crop failures.
Organization of The United
Nations http://www.fao.org/
NEWS/FACTFILE/FF9721-
E.HTM to know some effects
of global warming on
agriculture.

Part 2 What can we do?

1 Global warming is due to increased greenhouse effect by human
activities. How do our ways of life intensify global warming? Name
TWO ways.

Wasting paper (cutting trees that consume the carbon dioxide in air). Causing large

scale hill fire. Wasting energy such as electricity (burning of fossil fuel). Using materials

that produce greenhouse gases, such as aerosol. (Or any reasonable answers)

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 53

 STS A4 Class: Name: Date:

2 What would you suggest to solve the problem of global warming if you
S T S activity

were …? Write your suggestions in the bubbles below.

The president of the People's

Republic of China

The chair person of the

Global Warming Committee
of the United Nations

An industrialist

Discuss with Ss the ways

to solve problem of global
warming. Encourage Ss to
consider the different A legislative councillor
standpoints of the people,
and suggest ways which
can cater for both The chair person of the
economic development of World Wide Fund of Nature
developing countries and
goals of environmental
protection.
Ss may be divided into 6
groups, each taking a
different role. Each group A resident

takes turn to give

suggestion, and then
criticized by other groups.
The activity can be in the
form of a competition in Harmful impact of global warming includes ....................................melting of polar ice,
which score is calculated rise lowland
according to the relevance .................................... in the sea level, flooding in coastal ....................................,
rainfall distribution
and changing of .......................................................... pattern.
of the view to the roles
taken by the groups.

54 New Physics at Work © Oxford University Press 2003

 Class: Name: Date: STS A5

Game

A5 Crossword puzzle: heat

S T S activity
Related topics: This puzzle uses the words you learnt in this section. See if you can
Heat (Ch 1–3) complete it and see who is the fastest to complete it.

d c
H T
b
E H T
j 1
C L A T E N T H E A T E
h
O T R I M
N M N P
3
D J O U L E S E
E M U R
N E L A
2 i g
S P E C I F I C H E A T C A P A C I T Y
A V E O T U
T A R N O R
I P V R E
e
O O P E
8
N R A D I A T I O N C
A W T
T E I
4 f
I R W O R K
O N I
5
I N T E R N A L N
6
M E L T I N G
T
a
C I
7
E C O N D U C T I O N
L
S E
9
S O L I D I F I C A T I O N
U E
S R
G
Y

© Oxford University Press 2003 New Physics at Work 55

 STS A5 Class: Name: Date:

Across Down
S T S activity

1 When a substance is changing its state, a celcius

In ________________ temperature scale, the range
latent heat
________________ is absorbed or given out between the lower and upper fixed points is
without a change in its temperature. divided into 100 equal divisions.

2 specific heat capacity

The ________________________________ of a b It is a measure of the hotness of a body. temperature
substance is the energy needed to raise the
c thermometer
A ________________ is a device for measuring
temperature of 1 kg of the substance
temperature.
through 1 ° C
d Heat
________________ is the energy transferred from
3 The SI unit of energy. Joule
one body to another as a result of a temperature
4 Internal energy can be increased by heating or difference.
work
doing ________________.
e Power
________________ is the energy transferred per
5 internal
The ________________ energy of a body is the unit time
total kinetic and potential energy of all its
f Temperature of a substance increases with the
particles.
kinetic energy
average ________________ of all its particles.
6 A substance changes its state from solid to liquid
melting g The transfer of heat energy in liquid or gas by
at ________________ point.
means of currents. convection
7 The transfer of heat energy from molecule to insulator
h Polystyrene is a good ________________ of heat.
molecule within a substance. conduction
i Evaporation
________________ is the changing of a liquid to a
8 The transfer of energy in the form of infra-red.
radiation vapour which occurs at temperatures lower than
9 The reverse of melting. solidification the boiling point.

j The reverse of evaporation. condensation

56 New Physics at Work © Oxford University Press 2003