2 Materials: properties and changes
2.2 Thermal and electrical
conductors
We are going to...
• learn that conducting heat and electricity are properties of a substance
• collect and record observations and measurements in tables
• work safely in practical investigations
• suggest how to improve an investigation
• draw graphs of results and measurements and make conclusions
• group substances according to their properties
• identify the type of scientific enquiry used in an investigation
• use scientific knowledge to make a prediction
• use results to say if a prediction was accurate
• identify and describe patterns in results.
Getting started
Have you noticed that when you put a cold,
metal teaspoon into a hot cup of tea, the
teaspoon handle feels warm after a while?
1 Talk about why this happens.
2 Draw an energy chain to help explain
your answer.
conduction
electrical conductors
thermal conductors
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2.2 Thermal and electrical conductors
Substances can conduct
heat
You should already know that heat can be
transferred from one object to another. This
type of energy transfer is called conduction.
Substances and materials that conduct heat
well are called thermal conductors.
Why does a metal
teaspoon feel hotter than a plastic
teaspoon when you put them in a cup
of hot tea?
Think like a scientist 1
Investigate how well different materials conduct heat
You will need:
a beaker of hot water, a metal teaspoon, a plastic teaspoon, a glass rod,
a pencil, a long, thin piece of polystyrene foam, five beads, petroleum jelly
1 Put a small bit of petroleum
jelly of the same size onto one polystyrene foam pencil
end of each of the materials. glass rod bead on
Push a bead into the petroleum petroleum jelly
metal spoon
jelly.
plastic spoon
2 Your teacher will pour hot water beaker
hot water
into a beaker. Put each of the
different materials into the beaker.
Safety: Don’t touch the hot water.
Be careful not knock over the beaker
of hot water.
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2 Materials: properties and changes
Continued
3 Which bead do you think will fall off �rst? Say why.
4 Draw a table to record the order in which the beads fall off the materials.
5 a Which bead fell off �rst?
b Was your prediction correct?
6 a Which bead fell off last?
b What did this show you about that material?
7 Write a conclusion for the investigation from your observations.
8 Suggest a way to improve the investigation so that you can draw
a graph of your results.
9 Which types of scienti�c enquiry did you use in the investigation?
Explain your answer.
How am I doing?
Answer ‘Very well’, ‘Quite well’ or I need help’ to each of the questions.
How well can I:
• make a prediction with reasons?
• record observations in a table?
• use observations to write a conclusion?
• suggest how to improve an investigation?
Some materials and
substances conduct heat
better than others.
How well a substance
can conduct heat is a
property of the substance.
Metals are good conductors
of heat. Silver is the best
conductor of heat.
Non-metals, such as glass
and plastic, are not good
conductors of heat.
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2.2 Thermal and electrical conductors
Questions
1 Explain in your own words what a thermal conductor is.
2 Why do you think pots and pans are made from metal?
3 Why do you think the handles of pots and pans
are made from plastic?
4 In which cup will your tea stay warm
longest: a stainless steel cup, a glass cup
or a polystyrene foam cup? Explain why.
5 Find out the name for materials and
substances that are not good conductors of heat.
Substances can conduct electricity
Some materials and substances are able to conduct electricity.
They are called electrical conductors. The ability to conduct
electricity is a property of materials and substances.
You should already know that metals are substances
that conduct of electricity. Do other substances also
conduct electricity?
Think like a scientist 2
Investigate how well different substances conduct electricity
You will need:
two cells; a cell holder, a 1.5 V lamp,
three 15 cm pieces of copper connecting wire,
steel paper clip, aluminium foil, tap water,
sugar, pencil graphite
1 Set up your circuit as shown in the diagram
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2 Materials: properties and changes
Continued
2 Predict how well each of the substances you are going to test
will conduct electricity. Write your predictions in a table.
Use ticks to show your prediction and results:
0 ticks lamp doesn’t shine
1 tick ✓ lamp is dim
2 ticks ✓✓ lamp is bright
3 a What substance is the conducting wire made of?
b Touch the free ends of the conducting wire together.
How brightly does the lamp shine?
4 a Touch the free ends of the wire to the steel paper clip.
How brightly does the lamp shine?
b If the lamp does not light up, test the
substance again to be sure of your result.
5 Repeat Step 4 with all the other substances
you are going to test. For each substance,
observe the brightness of the lamp.
6 a Record your observations in the table.
b Are your results reliable?
How can you �nd out?
Questions
1 How well did your results match your predictions?
2 Which of the substances you tested were metals?
3 a Which substance that you tested conducted electricity best?
b Which substance that you tested conducted electricity worst
or not at all?
4 What can you conclude from your investigation?
5 Group the substances you tested into substances that conduct
electricity and substances that do not conduct electricity.
6 Which type of scienti�c enquiry did you use in the investigation?
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2.2 Thermal and electrical conductors
Activity 1
Compare thermal and electrical conductors
The table shows measurements of how well some substances conduct
heat and electricity.
How well the substance conducts…
Substance Heat (W/m−K) Electricity (W/m−K)
aluminium 237 37
copper 386 59
graphite 168 1
brass 150 16
steel 80 10
1 Draw a scatter graph of the measurements.
Label each data point you plot with the name of the substance.
2 Which substance is:
a the best conductor of heat?
b the best conductor of electricity?
c the worst conductor of heat?
d the worst conductor of electricity?
3 Describe the pattern you observe.
4 Identify and describe any measurements that do not �t the pattern.
5 Use the graph to predict the measurement for conducting heat
for a substance with a value of 14 for conducting electricity.
Plot the value on the graph in a different colour.
6 Suggest a conclusion you can make from the data and your graph.
How well did I work in a group?
What did I find easy to do?
What do I need more help with?
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2 Materials: properties and changes
Look what I can do!
I can understand that conducting heat and electricity are properties of
a substance.
I can collect and record observations and measurements in tables.
I can work safely in practical investigations.
I can suggest how to improve an investigation.
I can draw graphs of results and measurements.
I can make conclusions from results and measurements.
I can identify the type of scientific enquiry used in an investigation.
I can group substances according to their properties.
I can use results to say if a prediction was accurate.
I can identify and describe patterns in results.
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