Suppose you had 4 spoons the same size and shape made out of glass, plastic, steel, and wood. Which spoon handle would get hot the quickest when the spoons are placed in a warm pan of hot water? the steel spoon the glass spoon the plastic spoon the wooden spoon

Question

Suppose you had 4 spoons the same size and shape made out of glass, plastic, steel, and wood. Which spoon handle would get hot the quickest when the spoons are placed in a warm pan of hot water? the steel spoon the glass spoon the plastic spoon the wooden spoon

Answer 1

The steel spoon would get hot the quickest.Here's why:* **Thermal Conductivity:** Steel has much higher thermal conductivity than glass, plastic, or wood. Thermal conductivity is a measure of how efficiently a material transfers heat. A material with high thermal conductivity will quickly transfer heat from one end (in the hot water) to the other (the handle).* **Insulators vs. Conductors:** Steel is a good conductor of heat, while wood and plastic are insulators. Glass is a better conductor than wood and plastic, but significantly less so than steel. Insulators resist the flow of heat.Therefore, the steel spoon will transfer the heat from the water to your hand much faster than the other spoons.

Question

Suppose you had 4 spoons the same size and shape made out of glass, plastic, steel, and wood. Which spoon handle would get hot the quickest when the spoons are placed in a warm pan of hot water? the steel spoon the glass spoon the plastic spoon the wooden spoon

Solution

Answer