Can you solve it? Do you think like a physicist?

A hot puzzle about heat

Published 20 July 2026 113 words
SCIENCE A1
Can you solve it? Do you think like a physicist?

In hot weather, we close our curtains. This helps keep the room cool.

Sunlight comes through the window. The curtains take the sun's energy. The curtains get warm. They send heat back to the window and into the room. The curtains stop half of the sun's energy.

Now, imagine a room with window blinds and curtains. The blinds are on the windows. The curtains cover the blinds. This is two layers to stop the sun.

What percentage of sun energy gets into the room? You might think it is 25 per cent. But that is wrong. Think about how heat moves.

Vocabulary

hot weather — When the temperature is very high.
curtains — Pieces of cloth that hang in front of a window.
sunlight — The light from the sun.
energy — Power from something, like the sun.
percentage — A number out of 100, showing a part of a total.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do people close curtains when it is hot?
  2. What are the two things that stop the sun in the room?
  3. How does the article say you should think to solve the puzzle?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

Read the original article