Science Experiment – Blubber
About this experiment
The animals that call Earth’s polar regions home are able to do so because they have a thick layer of blubber. This is a layer of fatty tissue that stores energy, insulates heat and also increases the bouyancy of marine mammals such as whales and walruses. In this experiment, you’ll have an opportunity to test how well blubber works to block out the cold. Make sure an adult is around to help you with the cold water, and don’t leave your hand in for very long!
Materials
- A block of copha or other shortening (available at most supermarkets)
- Three ziplock sandwich bags
- Duct tape
- Large bowl filled with ice water
- A tub of margarine
- Spoon
Steps
- Using the spoon, add a few spoonfuls of margarine to a ziploack bag.
- Insert a second clean ziploack bag into one filled with margarine and fold down its edge over the outside of the first ziplock bag. Use the duct tape to secure in place.
- Massage the margarine so that it covers both sides of the bag.
- With one empty ziplock bag on one hand, and the margarine ‘glove’ on the other, put your hands into the cold water.
You’ll soon notice how the hand inside the margarine ‘glove’ doesn’t feel the cold the way your other hand does. This is because margarine is a fatty product that achieves here some of what blubber does for polar species.
Do you want to keep learning? Find more experiments here!
