DIY: Fat Gloves | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Fat Gloves

Stem Activities

Ages: 3-5

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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The polar regions are extremely cold, yet many mammals call them home - and it's all down to fat! When you jump into the icy waters of the Arctic or Antarctic, your body heat quickly dissipates. However, if you wear something containing oil or fat, you can slow down this heat loss, just like the thick blubber that whales, penguins and seals have. This layer of fat acts as a natural 'insulator', helping polar animals withstand severe cold.

Materials Needed

Bowl of ice water
Shortening
Zip-lock bags
Spoon
Tape
Thermometer (optional)

Various items are arranged on a light wooden surface, suggesting preparation for a scientific experiment or cooking activity. A light green bowl filled with ice water is positioned on the left. A small clear bowl containing a white, creamy substance, possibly shortening or butter, is placed above and to the right of the ice water. Next to the creamy substance are a white spoon, a digital thermometer, and a roll of yellow tape. Several clear plastic bags lie flat between the ice water and the other items. The image provides a top-down view of these materials.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Fill one zip-lock bag halfway with shortening.

Two hands are shown in the process of transferring a soft, off-white substance, likely shortening or butter, from a clear bowl into a clear plastic zip-top bag. One hand holds the bag open while the other uses a cream-colored spoon to scoop the substance. The background is a light wood surface. The image suggests a food preparation step, possibly for baking or a science experiment.

Step 2

Take another zip-lock bag and place it inside the bag containing shortening.

Two hands are flattening a sealed clear plastic zip-top bag containing a creamy, off-white substance, likely shortening or butter. The bag rests on a light wood surface. This image suggests a food preparation step, possibly for baking or a science experiment.

Step 3

Use tape to secure the openings of both zip-lock bags together.

Two hands hold open a clear plastic bag with a bright yellow zip-top seal. Inside the bag is a creamy, off-white substance, likely shortening or butter. The bag is held above a light wood surface. The image suggests a stage in food preparation.

Step 4

Place an empty zip-lock bag in the ice water. Put your hand inside the bag to feel the temperature, or measure it with a thermometer.

A clear plastic zip-top bag containing a substance, likely food, is submerged in a light green bowl of ice water. A hand holds a digital thermometer, with its probe in the water, displaying a temperature of 17 degrees, likely Celsius. The setup suggests a process of cooling or chilling the contents of the bag using an ice bath. The background is a light wood surface.

Step 5

Next, place your 'fat glove' in the ice water and put your hand inside. Compare the temperature with step 4 - which hand feels colder? Then use the thermometer to check the actual temperature inside the bags.

A sealed clear plastic bag with a yellow zip-top, containing a solid, off-white substance, is submerged in a light green bowl filled with ice water. A hand holds a digital thermometer; its probe is inserted into the bag, and the display reads 25.6 degrees Celsius. The image suggests a process of cooling or chilling a food item in an ice bath. The background is a light wood surface.

Step 6

The shortening (fat) acts as insulation, helping animals stay warm.

A clear plastic zip-top bag with a yellow seal, containing a soft, off-white substance, is partially submerged in a pale green bowl of ice water. A hand holds a digital thermometer with its probe inserted into the bag. The thermometer displays a temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. The process depicted is likely cooling or chilling a food item. The background is a light wooden surface.

The Science Behind It:

When you put your hand in ice water, heat quickly escapes and you immediately feel cold. But wearing a 'fat glove' means the surrounding layer of fat slows down heat loss, preventing your hand from getting cold so quickly. Like oil, certain materials can slow down heat transfer - these materials are called 'insulators'. Air is also an excellent insulator, which is why woolly jumpers trap lots of air and help keep us warm in winter!

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