Thermal Expansion of Water
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Provided by: UCAR Center for Science Education|Published on: December 19, 2023
Activity - ClassroomScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this 20-30 minute experiment, students will see how an increase in water temperature causes an increase in water volume.
- Students will learn how increased global temperatures cause the thermal expansion of ocean water, contributing to sea level rise.
Subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: UCAR Science Education Group, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students can use a lamp to heat the water instead of a Bunsen burner.
- Students can use sunlight to heat the water, resulting in a more realistic example of what happens in the real world.
- Students can complete the experiment in one class period because it takes less than 45 minutes for the water level to rise significantly.
- This activity can be a class demonstration or a hands-on experiment.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with lab rules and safety measures
Differentiation
- The “Important points to remember” might confuse students. The wording is not scientifically clear: “if this heat from global temperature rise is passed on to the water, water expands and increases in volume.” Another way to write this might be: “as added greenhouse gases cause the lower atmosphere to warm up, some of the heat is passed on to the ocean. The oceans warm up, and the water expands and increases in volume. Warmer ocean temperatures cause global sea levels to increase because water expands when it warms.”
- This experiment could be used in a lesson about sea level rise or climate change.
- Other resources on this topic include this video on water's heat capacity, this article on the future of sea level rise, and this lesson on the differences between land ice and sea ice.
This resource explains the thermal expansion of seawater. The activity allows students to learn, hypothesize, and draw valid conclusions about the impact of thermal expansion in seawater. This is resource is recommended.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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