Materials will conduct heat in different ways. Materials that are conductors will conduct heat well, insulating materials are not good at conducting heat.
Heat
Heat will travel through warmer materials to cooler materials to maintain a temperature balance; this process is referred to as conduction of heat.
Conductors
Definition
Materials that allow heat to travel through them easily. These materials are used when heat is transported to somewhere else.
Examples of conductors
Metals and graphite
Example
A saucepan heats up on the stove to warm food. The metal saucepan heats up whereas the handle does not as it has a rubber insulator.
Insulators
Definition
Materials that do not allow heat to travel through them. These materials are used to keep heat in or out.
Examples of insulators
Wood, fabrics, plastics and rubber.
Example
Rubber is used to insulate handles on saucepans. It ensures that the heat from the pan does not transfer and the saucepan is safe to hold.
Example
Which of the following types of materials are an example of an insulator?
Copper, tin, cotton, silver and aluminium
Cotton is the only material that will not conduct heat.
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Unit 1
Solids, liquids and gases
Unit 2
Everyday materials and their properties
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Unit 3
Conductors and insulators of heat
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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Do insulators conduct heat?
Insulators will not conduct heat, heat does not transfer easily through insulating materials.
What are insulators?
Insulators are materials that will not allow heat to flow through them.
What are conductors?
Conductors are materials that allow heat to flow through them.
