Insulators and Conductors

1. Insulators and Conductors Objective: Describe insulators and conductors. Identify materials that are good insulators and conductors.

2. Heat Transfer • Heat always moves from a warmer place to a cooler place. • Hot objects in a cooler room will cool to room temperature after the hot object transfers some of their heat to the cold object. • Cold objects in a warmer room will heat up to room temperature.

3. Why does metal feel colder than wood, if they are both at the same temperature? Metal is a conductor, wood is an insulator. Metal conducts the heat away from your hands. Wood does not conduct the heat away from your hands as well as the metal, so the wood feels warmer than the metal.

4. What is a conductor? • A conductor is something which allows electricity to flow through. • An example of a conductor is: • Scissors • Paper clip • Aluminum foil • Iron • Steel • Copper

5. What is a Insulator? • An insulator is what help keeps electricity from not flowing • Examples of insulators are: • Cotton • Plastic • Rubber

6. Sometimes we don’t want heat to be transferred, we want to keep the heat in. What do you know about all these things? Hats, coats, gloves and scarves are all insulators. They make it difficult for heat energy to be transferred from your body to the cold air, so they keep you warm.

7. Insulators • We use INsulators when we want to keep the heat IN – so the amount of heat/temperature stays about the same OR we use an insulator when we DO NOT want the heat to pass through easily, so we won’t be burnt. • Example: Thermos, Oven Mitts, Styrofoam cup with hot coffee, Winter Jacket, Rubber, blanket.

8. Look at these things. These are insulators too. What do they do? Tea cosy, burger box and thermos flask all prevent the transfer of heat.

9. Thermos • A thermos is a container that is capable of keeping hot items hot and cold items cold. • A thermos, a cooler or even an insulated cup works by preventing transfers of heat!