What are Conductors and Insulators?

What Are Conductors and Insulators?

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Mrs. Piña's 4th Grade Science Class

Go with the Flow...of Heat!

• Heat moves from through some materials very easily

• A material that allows heat to move through it easily is called a conductor.

• Many heat conductors also conduct electricity well.

• Solids are better conductors of heat than liquids or gases are

• Because the particles of a solid are packed tightly together, heat can move quickly from one particle to another.

Glass does not conduct heat well. If you pour boiling water into a metal bowl, the outside of the bowl quickly gets hot. A glass bowl gets warm more slowly.

Marble does not conduct heat as well as metals do. But it can still conduct heat away from your body. That’s why marble feels cool when you touch it.

Metals are great heat conductors! Some metals conduct heat better than others do.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a good conductor?

• Glass

• Marble

• Metal

Multiple Choice

Which spoon handle would be the hottest?

Turn the Heat Around

• Not all materials are conductors. Heat does not move easily—or at all—through some materials.

• Materials that do not conduct heat well are called insulators.

• Gases can be good insulators. A thin layer of trapped air is an excellent insulator.

• In cold weather, layers of clothing trap your body heat near you. 

• Insulators can be used to slow down the movement of heat.

• Metal wires conduct electricity and heat. Most wires are covered in rubber to insulate them and keep people safe from the electricity and heat.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a good insulator?

• Wood

• Plastic

• Steel

• Rubber

Heat Proofing a Home

• When the weather is hot, you want to keep heat from coming into your home. 

• When the weather is cold, you want to keep heat from leaving your home.

• It costs money to cool and heat a home!

1.Insulation

Insulation is blown inside the walls of a house. Insulation keeps heat from traveling through to the attic.

2.Windows

These windows have two panes of glass to limit conduction. They also have a coating that limits heat radiation.

3.Pipes

Hot pipes radiate heat from water into the air. Wrapping them keeps the heat from escaping.

4.Soil

Soil is a great insulator. Basements are usually cool, even in the summer.