Download 3 insulators/conductors

INSULATORS AND CONDUCTORS
Name
DIRECTIONS: Heat can be transferred by convection, conduction or radiation. Conductors transfer
heat energy very easily while insulators are poor conductors and do not transfer heat energy.
Below are 7 scenarios involving different methods in which heat is transferred.
Read each scenario and answer the questions that follow.
(HINT: determine if the material in the scenario is a conductor or insulator 1st!!)
INSULATORS
• materials that do not allow heat to travel through it
• poor conductor of heat
• materials that prevent heat loss
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plastic
DRY cotton
DRY wood
1
DRY paper
feathers
styrofoam
air
rubber
glass
CONDUCTORS
• materials that allow heat to travel through it
• good conductor of heat
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metals (copper, aluminum, iron, steel)
ceramics
water
You put your metal spoon in your cup of hot soup.
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1) Why does the metal spoon
get hot sitting in the cup of soup?
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3) Is the metal spoon a
good conductor or poor conductor of heat?
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4) If the spoon were made out of plastic, would it get hot?
2
Explain why or why not?
It is the day of the big fish fry.
3
1) Why are pans made
out of steel?
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2) Why are the handles or end of the
handles made out of plastic or wood?
3) If the pan handles were made out of
steel, you could use a pot holder.
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How does a pot holder help you?
Josh wants to go
outside to shovel snow
with his friends on a
cold blistery day. Why would he be warmer with several layers
of clothes rather than one BIG heavy jacket?
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(THINK -- AIR IS TRAPPED BETWEEN
THE LAYERS OF CLOTHES)
4
5
Your house has
insulation between the
studs in your walls.
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During the winter months, how does the insulation
help your house stay warmer than the outside ?
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Mark makes hot tea and
pours it in a ceramic cup.
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1) If Mark picks up the
ceramic cup his hands get hot.
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WHY?
2) If Mark poured his hot tea into a styrofoam cup
and picked it up, his hands would NOT get hot.
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6
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Don is sick.
He has a fever.
WHY?
7
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1) When his mother places a cool “wet” cloth
on his forehead, his head feels cooler.
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WHY?
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How does a cooler keep drinks cold on a hot day?
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2) When people have “chills” they wrap
themselves up in a blanket to get warmer.
WHY?
Coolers are made out of
two layers of plastic with
air in between.
A thermos is made of two
layers of plastic or metal
with air in between.
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How does a thermos keep soup or coffee hot?