Answers to Conduction and Radiation Worksheets

Answers to Conduction Worksheet

1. On a cold winter day, why would an iron post in a park feel much colder to the touch than a wooden bench?

Iron is a better heat conductor than wood. The iron will conduct the heat away from your hand faster than wood; this makes your hand feel colder when you touch iron

2. Potatoes cook from the outside in.

a)     Why does a small potato cook faster than a large potato?

Smaller potatoes have fewer particles, so heat takes less time to reach the centre.

b)    Why does sticking a metal skewer through the middle of a potato make it cook faster?

Heat will be conducted through the skewer into the centre of the potato and it will cook from the inside out.

Answers to Radiation Worksheet

1) Radiation waves are absorbed by the person in front of you so you do not feel the heat.

2) White clothing reflects infrared radiation and black clothing will absorb this radiation.

3) The shiny suits will reflect the strong heat radiation from the sun so the astronauts do not overheat.

4) Insulation is a poor heat conductor and it contains glass pieces to reflect heat back into your home.

5) In summer, heat is reflected out into the environment and in winter, heat is reflected back into your home.