5 Simple Energy Conservation Experiments

We are surrounded by energy-sucking creatures. But instead of blood, they feed on electricity. From your television and computer to your Xbox, furnace, fridge, oven, and microwave – they all consume energy. Some devices, like your cable box or DVD player, are even worse: They continue to drain energy when turned off.

These energy-guzzling devices can cause significant harm. Roughly 70% of our energy comes from finite resources like oil and natural gas. Once depleted, these sources are irreplaceable. Additionally, some energy forms, like the coal-powered plants generating nearly half of U.S. electricity, release carbon dioxide that could have dangerous consequences on Earth's climate [source: Dosomething.org].

Energy vampires aren't just harmful to the environment—they also impact your wallet. In 2011, the average American spent $4,410 annually on energy [source: Clayton]. Tackling energy waste can save you money.

Here are three easy ways to conserve energy:

To defeat the energy vampires, it’s crucial to understand how each of these energy-saving techniques works. The following experiments will help individuals of all ages become more energy-conscious, and some might even save you money.

5: Shower or bath?

Heating water requires energy. So, if you can clean up using less hot water, you'll save energy. But which uses more hot water: a bath or a shower? This experiment will help you figure it out.

Ask everyone in your household to take a bath instead of a shower when they need to clean up. Make sure each person leaves the water in the tub when they're done. Measure the water level with a bath crayon, colored tape, or a ruler and record it.

Next, have everyone take a shower (preferably in a shower/tub combo). Instruct them to plug the drain before starting to prevent water from draining out. Once finished, measure the amount of water left in the tub and mark or record the level.

Now, compare the average amount of water used by each method. The method that uses less water is the one that saves more energy and should be recommended for your household.

Think of additional ways to conserve energy. For example, what if you turned off the shower while soaping up? Using a low-flow showerhead, which can reduce water consumption by as much as 72%, can also help [sources: Energy Information Administration: Saving, titanheater.com].

4: Which is the best insulator?

Insulating your home retains heat, reducing the frequency with which you need to run your furnace during cold weather. Insulation also helps keep things cool, as seen with refrigerators that use insulation to block heat. Either way, insulation conserves energy by preventing appliances from overworking to maintain desired temperatures. This experiment shows which materials work best as insulators.

Begin with two cardboard shoe boxes. Attach black paper to the outside of the bottom of both boxes. Place the tops of both boxes upside down in a sunny spot and place a thermometer on each one.

Next, place the bottom of one box over the top, ensuring the black paper faces upward toward the sun. This box, without insulation, will serve as your control to observe the effects without insulation.

Now, select the material you'd like to test, shape it to completely cover the bottom of the second box, and tape it to secure it. Materials like Styrofoam, towels, layers of newspaper, bubble wrap, or synthetic fleece are all viable options. Position the second box over the other top, ensuring both boxes receive the same amount of sunlight.

After 15 minutes, open both boxes and measure the temperature inside each. The box with insulation should have a lower temperature than the control box. The larger the temperature difference, the more effective the material is as an insulator. Try the experiment again with different materials. Finally, consider why certain materials insulate more efficiently. For instance, they may trap pockets of still air, preventing heat from circulating [source: Energy Information Administration: Insulation].

3: The Energy Effects of Shade and House Paint

Could something as simple as tree shade or paint really reduce your home energy bills? This experiment aims to provide an answer. In this case, the 'house' will be a small cardboard box, with a 100-watt bulb acting as the sun, housed in a reflector lamp.

Start by preparing the box. Ensure it has a securely fitting lid and place a thermometer inside to monitor the temperature. Position the light so it shines directly onto the box. After 20 minutes, record the temperature inside.

Now, position a houseplant between the lamp and the box, casting its shadow on the 'house.' Alternatively, you can use branches from trees or bushes, placing them in pots of sand to provide stable shade. After 20 minutes, measure the temperature again. Did the shadow help cool the box? Test various plants with different leaf types and observe which one results in the largest temperature change.

To examine the impact of paint on energy, take two identical boxes. Paint one white and the other black or dark-colored. Place them equidistant from the light and after 20 minutes, measure the temperature inside each. Which box becomes hotter? How might this affect energy consumption in a real house?

In essence, selecting the right shade of trees or exterior paint color could reduce energy consumption by keeping a house cooler during summer and lessening the need for air conditioning. However, in winter, it might be advantageous to avoid shade, allowing the house to absorb more solar heat. In this case, deciduous trees that shed their leaves in winter could be the most efficient energy savers [source: Energy Information Administration: Sun].

2: Make a Solar Water Heater

You can create your own hot water using only the power of the sun. Begin with a flat box, approximately 3 feet (90 centimeters) square and 2 or 3 inches (5 or 7.5 centimeters) deep. Paint the interior black or line it with black paper.

Next, take 20 feet (6 meters) or more of flexible black tubing. Make two holes in the box: one near a corner and the other on the opposite side. Thread one end of the tube through the first hole and arrange the tubing in flat loops across the bottom of the box, making sure the loops do not overlap. Continue looping until most of the tubing is used, then pass the other end out through the second hole.

Place a glass cover over the box and tape the edges to secure it. You now have a solar collector similar to those seen on rooftops. Put the box in a sunny spot and submerge one end of the tubing into a bucket of water. Suck on the other end to fill the tube and start the siphoning process. Keep the end you sucked on lower than the other and let the water flow into another container. Use a clothespin to pinch the tube and restrict the water flow to a slow trickle.

Place a thermometer in each water container to monitor the temperature change. Does the angle of the box relative to the sun affect the outcome? How about if you use a longer piece of tubing with more loops? The warmer the water, the more heat it is absorbing from the sun. If you were to use this heated water in your home, it would reduce the demand on your electric, gas or oil water heater, conserving energy. [source: Benrey]

1: Wind Power to Electricity

You may have noticed large wind turbines spinning atop hills. In this experiment, you can create your own miniature turbine and experiment with generating electricity from wind.

Begin with a 1.5-volt direct current motor, commonly found at hobby shops or online stores. In this experiment, instead of using electricity to power the motor, you will use wind to turn the motor shaft and generate electricity. Mount the motor horizontally on a board, with the shaft extending over the edge.

Attach a model airplane propeller to the motor's shaft, making sure it's perpendicular to the board. Ensure the propeller is securely fixed to the shaft, either tightly fitting or screwed down, so that when the propeller spins, the shaft spins as well. Your makeshift "wind turbine" is now ready to generate power.

Connect the two wires from the motor to a voltmeter that measures up to 5 volts. Insert a 100-ohm resistor between the motor and the voltmeter by connecting the resistor leads (the wires from either end of the resistor) to the exposed ends of the motor wires. This setup allows the voltmeter to properly measure the electricity produced.

Place the motor and propeller in front of a fan to create the "wind." Once the propeller begins spinning, check the voltmeter to measure how much electricity is being generated. If the needle doesn't move, or if it moves in the wrong direction, disconnect the wires from the voltmeter and switch their positions. Observe how the voltage fluctuates as the fan speed increases or decreases.

Try using different types of propellers. Does the size of the propeller influence the electricity generated? Experiment with designing your own propeller, including variations in blade count and angles. Which configuration produces the most electricity at a given wind speed? Efficient turbines can capture wind energy and reduce the reliance on other energy sources [source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory].