Conductivity varies for different materials , most of us have unknowingly touched hot metal object sometimes in our life, we know it gets hot quickly. The e-learning animation shows the determination of conductivity of different materials.

CONDUCTIVITY OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS

Suppose an experiment is conducted by taking a container with water inside having rods of different materials attached to it. The rods have a coating of wax on them, the length of the wax is same on each rod.

This is because each element has different conductivity.

Similarly If we touch the metal handle utensil we instantly remove our hand as we suddenly touched something hot.

Metals being good conductors of heat, transfers heat from one end to the other very quickly. Hence, the metal handle becomes too hot to touch.

Now if we touch the plastic or wooden handle utensil we'll be able to lift it from the oven.
Plastic and wood are insulator (a bad conductor of heat) and hence even though the metallic part of the utensil gets heated, the handle remains cold enough to be touched.

• Application
  
  
•  Heat - Bi-metallic strip- thermostat
•  Heat -Effects-Thermal Expansion


• Phenomenon
  
  
•  Greenhouse effect


• Properties
  
  
•  Heat Thermal equilibrium - Zeroth law
•  Heat and Temperature - Concept of heat
•  Heat and Temperature - Convection currents
•  Heat and Temperature - Kinetic theory of matter
•  Heat and Temperature - Thermal expansion concepts
•  Heat and Temperature - Thermometry