Conductors and Insulators

Chapter 8
Lesson 3
 What are conductors &
insulators?
CONDUCTORS- are material
Some physical that easily conducts heat
properties, such as energy
boiling point and  They heat up quickly and evenly
when exposed to a source of
freezing point, thermal energy: gold, copper,
require testing or silver
investigations INSULATORS- materials that
Thermal do not heat well
 Insulators absorb heat and do not
Conductivity is the distribute evenly
ability of a material  Gases, many nonmetals, wood,
to transfer heat plastic, and glass
 The better the insulator, the
slower heat energy will move
through the material
Examples
Answer= D
 Insulators do not
allow heat to move
through easily.
Examples
Answer= B
 Conductors allow
heat to pass through
easily
 How are conductors and
insulators used?
You use them every day.
Thermal conductivity can be
a very useful property and
many things in the kitchen
are made of metals
Frying pans need to be made
out of conductive material so
that your food will cook
evenly.
Engineers, builders, and
architects make decisions on
which materials are used
Insulation is a material
that is used to prevent
heat from flowing into or
out of a building. It
keeps buildings warm in
the winter and cool in
the summer
 Cloth, plastic, fiberglass,
air, and other insulators
can be used as insulation
 Most houses and
buildings have some type
of insulation
 How are conductors and
insulators used?
Your clothing is also Many insulators can be
made of insulators found in nature
 Bulky winter coats,  Birds have a layer of soft,
sweaters, fleece jackets fluffy feathers called down.
The down feathers trap air
have material that trap and keep it close to the
hair bird’s bodies, helping them
 Wearing multiple layers maintain their body
of clothing has the same temperature
effect  The hair and fur found on
 Between each layer of many mammals works the
clothing is a layer of air same way.
that is warmed by your  Ocean mammals, such as
body’s heat whales and dolphins, have a
layer of fat called blubber
How conductors/insulators are
used examples
Answer=A
 Remember that most
of our clothing are
insulators because
we want to trap the
air around us to keep
us warm. Wearing a
knitted hat will keep
you warm, especially
in colder weather
More examples
Answer= C
 Rubber is an insulator
because it does not allow
heat to pass through. If it
did, you would burn your
hands every time you
touched the handle. The
pot needs to be a
conductor in order for
you to cook your food.
 Most metals are good
conductors and copper is
a metal!
 Do conductors have other
uses?
Conductivity can also be
used to describe the ability
of a material to conduct
electricity
Materials that are good
thermal conductors, such
as metals, are often good
electrical conductors as
well.
Metals are good electrical
conductors: copper is often
used in electrical wires.
Rubber and plastic are
insulators because they
do not allow electrical
charge to flow. They are
usually placed around
metal wires to protect
you from electrical shock
Water is an electrical
conductor. Never touch
a power cord, switch, or
electrical appliance while
you are wet or in water
Conductors other uses
examples
Answer= B
 Metals are not only
good conductors of
heat, but also
electricity
Conductors other uses
examples
Answer= D
 Isabella is the only
student who has ALL
metals in her pile of
materials. Metals are
good conductors of
heat and electricity
How conductors/insulators are
used examples
Answer= C
 Many metals are
good conductors.
When heated, these
can easily transfer
heat.