Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39
Lawrence Blumer
Abstract
The most important global environmental issue of our times is climate change and global warming. In the decades to come, no one will be untouched by the impacts of rising temperatures, droughts, violent storms, rising sea level and weather extremes that are being induced by human activity. Governments around the world have committed to slowing and eventually controlling global warming (Paris Accord 2015 and Kigali Accord 2016) but those efforts seem to focus on large scale targets such as energy production, major industries and transportation systems. Individuals seem to have little or no possible role in addressing this major problem. Yet, we all use energy and the choices we each make about the automobile we drive, home appliances we use, and even the light bulbs in our homes will have a collective impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases and the rate of global warming. In this study, students, working in groups, evaluate the three major forms of electric light bulbs, incandescent (I), compact fluorescent (CF) and light emitting diode (LED). Students design and conduct experiments to compare light bulb efficiencies, visible light outputs, and waste heat outputs. The purpose of this work is for each student group to make recommendations on which light bulb type is the best buy and which would be best for the environment.
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