G8.C1.W3

Thermal Properties of Materials

MS-PS3-3 · How can we design materials with specific thermal properties?

📋 Instructions

Driving Question: Why do some materials feel hotter than others at the same temperature?

1. Select a material for each of the 3 bars.

2. Set the heat source temperature and click Play.

3. Watch heat propagate differently through each material.

4. Record the time it takes for heat to reach the far end.

200°C

Temperature Probes

Bar 1 (Copper) tip:22°C
Bar 2 (Glass) tip:22°C
Bar 3 (Wood) tip:22°C
Time elapsed:0.0 s

Key Concepts

Thermal conductivity (k): How fast heat flows through a material
Copper: k ≈ 385 W/m·K (very high)
Aluminum: k ≈ 205 W/m·K (high)
Glass: k ≈ 1.0 W/m·K (low)
Wood: k ≈ 0.12 W/m·K (insulator)
📊 Data JournalTrial 0
# Material Source °C Tip °C Time Predicted
Data Journal — Record & Analyze Your Experiments
#Heat source temperatureObservation
class="poe-section">

🤔 Predict

Which material will conduct heat to its tip fastest? Rank copper, glass, and wood from fastest to slowest.

👀 Observe

Run the simulation and watch the color gradient travel along each bar. Record the tip temperature at 5s, 10s, and 20s for each material.

💬 Explain

Using Fourier's law Q/t = kA(ΔT/L), explain why metals conduct heat much faster than wood. Why are pot handles made of wood?