Science of Geothermal – Geothermal Conductivity Lab – Student

Summary

In this hands-on lab, students investigate how heat moves through different materials—just like engineers designing geothermal systems. Using sand, soil, clay, and gravel, they measure temperature changes over time to determine which materials conduct heat most effectively.

Students graph their data, calculate heat transfer rates, and discuss how material density and water content affect thermal conductivity. The experiment connects physics concepts of energy transfer directly to earth science applications, showing why geology matters in geothermal power generation.