South Dakota’s Badlands National Park is renowned for its rugged terrain, striking geological formations, and unique wildlife. Recently, park rangers at Badlands National Park embarked on an unusual experiment to demonstrate the intense summer heat and its potential dangers: They baked cookies inside a car.
The experiment
On a sweltering summer day, temperatures in the Badlands can soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. To illustrate just how hot it can get inside a vehicle under such conditions, the park rangers decided to use the heat to their advantage by baking cookies. The idea was not just to create a fun visual experiment but to educate visitors about the risks associated with leaving people or pets inside a hot car.
The rangers placed a tray of cookie dough on the dashboard of a parked car and left it there for a few hours. The outcome was quite impressive. The intense heat inside the vehicle was enough to bake the cookies to a golden brown, demonstrating that temperatures inside a parked car can reach dangerous levels very quickly.
They wrote in a post, “It’s been over a hundred degrees at Badlands for the last few days, so the rangers decided to make the best of it by testing a classic hypothesis – can you bake cookies in your car on a hot summer day?
The science behind it
The phenomenon behind this experiment is rooted in the basic principles of how heat is absorbed and retained. When a car is parked in direct sunlight, the sunlight passes through the windows and is absorbed by the interior surfaces. These surfaces, such as the dashboard, seats, and steering wheel, then re-radiate the heat as infrared radiation. Since the windows trap this heat, the temperature inside the car rises rapidly, often reaching levels much higher than the outside temperature.
This effect is known as the “greenhouse effect.” It can cause the temperature inside a car to rise by 20 degrees Fahrenheit or more in just 10 minutes. On a 90-degree day, the interior of a car can easily reach 110 degrees or higher within a half-hour.
Safety implications
The cookie-baking experiment serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of leaving children, pets, or even groceries inside a parked car during hot weather. Even a short errand can lead to a potentially life-threatening situation. Heatstroke can occur when the body’s temperature rises to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and it can be fatal if not treated promptly.
Raising awareness
The rangers’ creative approach to demonstrating the effects of extreme heat was shared widely on social media, garnering significant attention. This experiment highlighted the importance of public awareness about the dangers of heat and the need for vigilance, especially during the summer months.
By using a simple, relatable example, the Badlands National Park rangers successfully communicated a critical safety message. Their experiment showed that education and awareness can be achieved through innovative and engaging methods, helping to protect both visitors and the natural environment of the park.
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Great demonstration on a very real and dangerous situation.
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 I do not think they could have made their point any better. That is quite a visual and gustatory demonstration! 🤔😯 Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
With all the public service and news announcements on this subject – it still happens either accidentally or carelessness – the later being the norm! If you see a child/pet in a closed car call 911 or contact store security if available on site. (Better they deal with it, if possible, than you for liability reasons).