Exploring Thermal Energy Transfer Through Materials
Not all materials have the same ability to transfer heat. With an understanding of the properties of materials and the mechanisms of heat transfer, people can manipulate the flow of heat for practical purposes.
Some materials, such as metals, are good conductors of heat while others, such as plastic or air, are not. Materials that are not good at transferring heat by conduction are called insulators. Similarly, some materials are better at absorbing energy from electromagnetic radiation than others. For example, darker colored materials are better at absorbing electromagnetic radiation while shiny surfaces and lighter colored materials tend to reflect it.
Watch this video, which uses principles of heat transfer to explain why we wear clothes.
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Video: Heat | Crash Course Physics (Excerpt)
Objects at “room temperature” in the same room all have the same temperature, but they may feel different to the touch. For example, on a cold morning, you may choose to step out of bed onto a rug rather than the tile floor.
When heat flows from your foot to the tile, your brain senses that the body is cooler where it is in contact with the tile. Because heat flows faster from your foot to the tile than it does to the rug, the tile feels colder.
Take Notes
- What are some materials that are good and bad at transferring heat?
- If you wanted to stay warm on a cold day, what would you wear? Explain why.
- If you wanted to keep something cold or make it colder. What would you have to do?
