Heat Conductors and Insulators - A Demonstration

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In this video, we're going to take a look at how different how heat, the transfer of thermal energy interacts differently with different materials, followed by a brief demonstration.
Have you ever noticed the different materials used to make things in your kitchen? Take a look around and you'll see a variety of items, each chosen for their specific properties.
Glass salad bowls, for example, are transparent, allowing you to see what's inside. Mallets are made from strong materials to withstand the force of striking, while cutting boards are hard and resist scratching.
Now, let's focus on the materials used for cooking. You might have noticed that pots and pans often have metal bases but plastic handles. Have you ever wondered why? It's all about how these materials interact with heat. The metal base of a pot or pan is a good conductor of heat (or heat conductor), which means it allows thermal energy to move through it easily. This is exactly what we want when cooking - the heat from the stove quickly moves to the pot or pan causing it to get warmer which then transfers to the food inside.
On the other hand, the plastic handles on pots and pans are heat insulators. They don't allow thermal energy to pass through them easily. They are poor conductors of heat, or heat insulators. This is important because it keeps the handles cool to the touch, even when the pot or pan is hot. Another example of a heat insulator in the kitchen is a wooden spoon. Wood is a poor conductor of heat, which makes it perfect for stirring hot foods without burning your hand.
Now that we understand the basics of heat conductors and insulators, let's see them in action through a simple demonstration.
Here, we have three spoons made of different materials.
We have a metal spoon, a wooden spoon and a plastic spoon.
We'll stick some butter to each spoon, and place each spoon in a bowl.
Now, let's stick a plastic button to each piece of butter.
And then carefully fill the bowl with hot water.
Heat always move from hot to cool. So, as time passes, thermal energy is moving from the hot water up each spoon, but at different rates.
Just as I thought, as metal is a good conductor of heat, the spoon got hotter faster, causing the butter to melt and button to slide down into the water.
Thanks for learning.