Staying Warm in Freezing Waters

When it comes to surviving the cold, no one does it better than our Arctic buddies. For the ones that live underwater, the secret to surviving these freezing temperatures is a fat called blubber. For today’s Eco-Activity, we’re going to be doing an experiment to see just how good blubber is at keeping you warm.

Here’s how you do the experiment:

1. Fill the bowl with ice and cold water.

2. Put a bag on your hand and cover the outside of it with Crisco. Then carefully put another bag over top of it so the Crisco is covered. This will be the “blubber bag”. Set it aside for now.

3. Make the “control bag” by repeating Step 2 without the Crisco. This bag will help you see how cold the water feels when you don’t have blubber.

4. Put both bags on different hands and dunk them in the bowl of ice water. Feel how much warmer the hand in the “blubber bag” is than the one in the “control bag”.

5. Want to see how other materials compare? Try the experiment again using wool, cotton balls, or even tomato sauce! Which keeps you the warmest? You tell us!

We want to see your blubber experiment in action! Share a photo with us on social media or send an email to membership@earthrangers.com!

Heads Up, Earth Ranger: Don't share any personal details in your comments (like your last name, school name, or even age). The Earth Rangers team checks all comments to keep it safe and fun for everyone!

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