Published on Sep 05, 2023
Articles Required : An ice slab, four cloth-pieces of different colours (at least one black and one white).
Doesn't it sound strange that different colours absorb different amount of heat? Coming to think of it, what have colours to do with heat or cold ? But if you ponder a little deeply over it you would realise, that there is some weight in the argument. That's why we wear soft shades in summers and dark colours in winters.
How would you react if some friend calls it your whim and challenges you to prove it? Well, there is nothing to mind in that. After all'the basis of science is demonstration and experiment. So, how will you prove this to him? Come, we'll tell you here.
First of all, take a large slab of ice whose one surface is smooth and even. If it's not, make it so with the help of some hot object. Now take four rectangular cloth pieces, equal in size but in different colours.
Yes, one of these must be white, one black and the other two of some other colours. Place them on the surface of ice as shown in the figure here and then put the ice slab in the sun for some time.
If the colours had no connection with heat whatsoever, it wouldn't have any special effect on the melting of ice.
But it doesn't happen like this. After some time you notice that the ice has melted under the cloth pieces at different rate and the interesting fact to note is that the depth of these 'enclosures' is not the same under all four pieces.
The maximum ice has melted from underneath the black cloth and the minimum under the white piece, and under the other ones depending upon their colour tones.
