Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
A metal spoon and a wooden spoon in a cup of warm water, with a small battery and bulb testing nearby.

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Conductors of Heat and Electricity

Test and rank materials.

Lesson 9 of 41

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Before we start

Today’s story

Conductors of Heat and Electricity

Pick up a spoon that has sat in hot soup. The metal one burns your fingers. The wooden one does not. That is a clue about matter.

Some materials move heat well. Some move electricity well. We call them conductors. Materials that block the flow are insulators.

Metals tend to be good conductors of both heat and electricity. Wood, plastic, rubber and air tend to be insulators. Let us test and rank them.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Conductor Race

    30 minutes · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • Warm tap water
    • Cup
    • Metal spoon
    • Plastic spoon
    • Wooden spoon
    • Thermometer or a dab of butter on each handle
    • Battery, bulb and wires
    • Paper clip, eraser, coin, pencil

    Do this

    1. Predict which spoon will warm fastest.
    2. Stand all three spoons in warm water at once.
    3. Check each handle every minute for five minutes and note the order.
    4. Next, set up the battery and bulb with a gap between two wires.
    5. Touch each small object to both wires across the gap.
    6. Record whether the bulb lights.
    Write or draw: A table of the spoons and the objects with heat results and electricity results.

    Watch for: Did the best heat conductor also conduct electricity? Which materials did neither?

    Safety: Use only a small battery and warm tap water. Never put wires into a wall outlet.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1Test the same way each time

    Same water, same time, same size.

    Rule 2Rank with evidence

    Use your results, not a guess.

    Rule 3Use low-voltage batteries only

    Wall outlets are never part of a test.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    conductor
    A material that lets heat or electricity move through easily.
    insulator
    A material that slows or blocks heat or electricity.
    current
    The flow of electric charge.
    rank
    To put things in order from best to worst.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • What evidence shows a material is a good conductor?
    • What insulators do your family use at home, like oven mitts or cooler foam?
    Did you know

    Copper is used in most house wiring because it conducts electricity very well and bends easily.

    Someone who does this

    An electrician chooses wires and insulation to keep homes safe.

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