10.

2 Energy transfer: conduction

1 A conductor transfers thermal energy very quickly. An insulator transfers thermal

energy slowly.
2 It would take a very long time to heat water in a saucepan that is made of a
material that is not a good conductor. To heat water enough thermal energy must be
transferred to make all the particles move faster, if this is transferred at
a slow rate it will take a long time to reach this point.
3a A drysuit keeps a diver warm because it traps a layer of air between the suit and
the skin. Air is a poor conductor so thermal energy is not conducted away from the
body and the diver stays warm
b A drysuit keeps a diver warmer than a wetsuit.
c When a diver wears a wetsuit there is no layer of air between the suit and the
skin, water is also an insulator but not as good as air, so thermal energy is
conducted away from the body much quicker than if there were a layer of air,
cooling the diver down.
4 A blanket is normally made of material that is a poor conductor of thermal energy.
It will keep you warm because thermal energy is not being conducted away from
the body as quickly as it would be without the blanket.
10.2 Energy transfer: conduction

1a T
b F – Things that feel warm do not conduct thermal energy away from our hands.
cT
d F – The particles in a metal that is hot are vibrating more than the particles in a
metal that is cold.

2a foam
b paper
c Air is a poor conductor of thermal energy, so a material that contains pockets of
air will be a good insulator.
3a T
bT
c Order of best to worst conductor: copper, aluminium, iron