Exercise 1 : Thermal Processes

Name : .................................. Date : ..............

Conduction

When we heated the metal rod, the __________ received more

energy. This meant they ________ more and bumped into each
other.

As they bumped into each other, they passed on some of their

energy. This meant the ______ (or thermal energy) moved through
the rod.

Eventually the whole rod heated up. We could see the rod got
hotter as the ________ melted. This made the drawing pins fall
off.

The movement of thermal energy like this is called ___________.

heat Vaseline conduction vibrated particles

Read the following paragraph

Substances that allow thermal energy to move easily through them
are called conductors. Metals are good conductors of thermal
energy.
Substances that do not allow thermal energy to move through them
easily are called insulators. Air and plastics are insulators.

1. Explain why handles for pans are made from plastic and not
metal?
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2. Can you think of any other materials that are used as
insulators or conductors of heat?
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Prediction: What do you think is going to happen to the drawing pins? Explain
why.
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Which metal is the best

conductor?

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Explain how you know.

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Annotate the diagram below to show the hot end, the cold end and the direction
the heat is travelling in.

What is happening to the particles at the hot end?

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How is this different to the particles at the cold end?

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How is heat travelling from one to the other?

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