Childrens Science Experiments - Heat Conductors & Insulators

Facts on Heat Conductors & Insulators

Heat passes through some materials easily and these materials are called thermal conductors.
Metals usually feel cold to the touch. Metals are good thermal conductors, because heat passes through them quickly.
Heat does not pass through some material such as plastic, oven glove, thermal underwear, cork board and wood. These materials are called thermal insulators.
These thermal insulators are good for keeping heat out as well and in. Some examples of good insulators are - a thermos - keeps hot things hot and keeps cold things cold, cooler - deeps the heat out and keeps the inside cool, and a polystyrene cup keeps the heat in and keeps it hot.
Remember that a good insulator is a poor conductor.
Insulators often contain pockets of trapped air like feathers on a bird and fur on animals to keep them warm.
Heat loves to travel and will travel from a warmer material to a colder material. The heat will only travel from hot things to colder things and never the other way around.
Some materials allow heat to travel through easily and some don't. If you boil a tea pot on the stove, the pot becomes too hot to touch whereas the tea pot handle does not get hot.

Wood and plastic are good heat insulators and are used for saucepan handles. Whereas the saucepan is made of metal due to metals being good heat conductors and allow the heat to pass from the cooker into the food.

Kids Science Experiments - Heat Conductors & Insulators

Kids Science Experiments -
Heat Conductors & Insulators