======Globe and Heat Lamp Seasons Model======


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**Alternative titles:** Modelling the Seasons
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Record the latitude and longitude of your location and mark it on a globe with a small square of black cardboard.  
  - Place another black cardboard square at the same longitude in the opposite hemisphere (only works for places not on the equator).  
  - Measure and record the initial temperature of both locations using an infrared thermometer.  
  - Position a heat lamp about 20 cm from the globe so that your location faces directly toward the lamp.  
  - Switch on the lamp and leave for 15 minutes.  
  - Record the final temperature at both locations.  
  - Discuss which season is being represented by the observed heating differences.  
  - Modify the model by rotating the globe to simulate opposite seasons and repeat the measurements.



====Links==== 
Classroom Demonstrations: The Seasons demo 2 - Institute of Physics: 
{{youtube>EkR5w9LCPho?}}\\

📄 Modelling the Seasons - QGC: [[https://www.museum.qld.gov.au/-/media/project/qm/qm-website/learn-and-discover/learning-resources-platform/pdfs/m/qm072-modelling-the-seasons-20210315.pdf?rev=d83811d4bc354cd687084272e27a29cd]]\\

====Variations====
  * Use a globe covered with thermochromatic plastic to visually show temperature changes.  
  * Place thermochromatic plastic sheets on the globe’s surface at different locations to give a clear color-change representation of warming.  
  * Try with different light sources such as incandescent, halogen, or heat lamps to compare results.  
  * Extend the model to include measurements at the poles to explain polar day and night.  




====Safety Precautions====
  * Do not touch the heat lamp during or after use; it becomes very hot.  
  * Do not leave the lamp unattended while switched on.  
  * Handle the infrared thermometer with care and use it only as directed.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does the tilt of the Earth’s axis cause seasons? (Because different parts of the Earth receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year.)  
  * Why are seasons opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres? (When one hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, the other tilts away.)  
  * Why are the poles cold all year long? (The Sun’s rays strike at a very low angle, spreading energy over a larger area.)  
  * Why is the equator warm all year long? (The Sun’s rays strike more directly, concentrating energy in a smaller area.)  
  * Based on the model, why does the South Pole experience polar night during winter? (Because it is tilted completely away from the Sun, leaving it in darkness for extended periods.)