KS2 Heat | How Thermal Insulators and Conductors Work

KS2 Science Quiz - Thermal Insulators and Conductors (Questions)

Thermal insulators and conductors are used for controlling heat and in this KS2 Science quiz we look at some of the ways we can use them.

Have you ever heard of thermal underwear? Some people wear it in the winter time to keep themselves warm. Thermal underwear is a good insulator. Insulators are materials which do not conduct heat very well and so we can use them to control heat and keep things hot or cold. Thermos flasks are made from insulating materials. Conductors are the opposite of insulators. Heat passes quite easily through them. We can use conductors to move heat, for example, radiators are made from metal. That's because metal is a good conductor of heat and so metal radiators warm rooms or cool engines much more quickly than wooden ones would!

Try this science quiz to test your knowledge on how thermal insulators and conductors control heat..

What do we call a material which can transfer heat easily?

[ ]	A thermal insulator
[ ]	A thermal conductor
[ ]	An electrical insulator
[ ]	An electrical conductor

What do we call a material which does not allow heat to transfer easily?

[ ]	A thermal insulator
[ ]	A thermal conductor
[ ]	An electrical insulator
[ ]	An electrical conductor

Why should oven gloves be made from materials which are good thermal insulators?

[ ]	Oven gloves made from good thermal insulators will be more comfortable
[ ]	Oven gloves made from good thermal insulators will keep the food hot
[ ]	Oven gloves made from good thermal insulators will protect hands from being burned
[ ]	Good thermal insulators will keep the oven hot

Which of these materials is a better thermal conductor than the others?

[ ]	Brick
[ ]	Aluminium
[ ]	Wood
[ ]	Paper

Which of these materials would be a better thermal insulator than the others?

[ ]	Gold
[ ]	Steel
[ ]	Copper
[ ]	Wool

Why do stainless steel pots often have wooden handles?

[ ]	Wood is a good thermal conductor
[ ]	Wood is a good thermal insulator
[ ]	Wood is a good electrical insulator
[ ]	It is not possible to make handles out of steel

If you put frozen ice cream into a metal bowl, what would happen?

[ ]	Warmth would travel from the bowl to the ice cream
[ ]	Warmth would travel from the ice cream to the bowl
[ ]	Cold would travel from the bowl to the ice cream
[ ]	Cold would travel from the ice cream to the bowl

Which of the following would best protect ice cream from melting?

[ ]	A metal bowl with a lid
[ ]	A plastic cup
[ ]	An ice cream cone
[ ]	A vacuum flask

Plastic is a good thermal insulator. Where would you see plastic used?

[ ]	For the base (bottom) of a frying pan
[ ]	For the inside of a cooker
[ ]	For the handle of an electric kettle
[ ]	For the base of an iron

10.

What would be a disadvantage of stirring a boiling pot with a metal spoon?

[ ]	Cold would travel from your hand to the boiling pot
[ ]	Heat would travel from the boiling pot to your hand
[ ]	Metal spoons don't make enough noise while you're stirring
[ ]	Metal spoons don't stir very well

KS2 Science Quiz - Thermal Insulators and Conductors (Answers)

What do we call a material which can transfer heat easily?

[ ]	A thermal insulator
[x]	A thermal conductor
[ ]	An electrical insulator
[ ]	An electrical conductor

'Thermal' means to do with heat

What do we call a material which does not allow heat to transfer easily?

[x]	A thermal insulator
[ ]	A thermal conductor
[ ]	An electrical insulator
[ ]	An electrical conductor

Conductors and insulators are opposites to one another

Why should oven gloves be made from materials which are good thermal insulators?

[ ]	Oven gloves made from good thermal insulators will be more comfortable
[ ]	Oven gloves made from good thermal insulators will keep the food hot
[x]	Oven gloves made from good thermal insulators will protect hands from being burned
[ ]	Good thermal insulators will keep the oven hot

Oven gloves protect our hands when we hold hot things

Which of these materials is a better thermal conductor than the others?

[ ]	Brick
[x]	Aluminium
[ ]	Wood
[ ]	Paper

Metals conduct heat very well

Which of these materials would be a better thermal insulator than the others?

[ ]	Gold
[ ]	Steel
[ ]	Copper
[x]	Wool

Gold, copper and steel are all metals and would make very poor thermal insulators

Why do stainless steel pots often have wooden handles?

[ ]	Wood is a good thermal conductor
[x]	Wood is a good thermal insulator
[ ]	Wood is a good electrical insulator
[ ]	It is not possible to make handles out of steel

Because it is an excellent thermal insulator, wooden handles will not burn your hands even when the pot is hot

If you put frozen ice cream into a metal bowl, what would happen?

[x]	Warmth would travel from the bowl to the ice cream
[ ]	Warmth would travel from the ice cream to the bowl
[ ]	Cold would travel from the bowl to the ice cream
[ ]	Cold would travel from the ice cream to the bowl

Cold cannot transfer, or travel, from one material to another. Only heat can be transferred. Heat moves from warmer materials to cooler materials - when you go outside on a frosty day, heat is transferred from your warm face to the cold air!

Which of the following would best protect ice cream from melting?

[ ]	A metal bowl with a lid
[ ]	A plastic cup
[ ]	An ice cream cone
[x]	A vacuum flask

Vacuum flasks are excellent thermal insulators - they can keep coffee piping hot. A material which can keep hot things hot can also keep cold things cold

Plastic is a good thermal insulator. Where would you see plastic used?

[ ]	For the base (bottom) of a frying pan
[ ]	For the inside of a cooker
[x]	For the handle of an electric kettle
[ ]	For the base of an iron

Plastic would melt if it got too hot so it would be no good inside a cooker or on the bottom of a pan

10.

What would be a disadvantage of stirring a boiling pot with a metal spoon?

[ ]	Cold would travel from your hand to the boiling pot
[x]	Heat would travel from the boiling pot to your hand
[ ]	Metal spoons don't make enough noise while you're stirring
[ ]	Metal spoons don't stir very well

Metal spoons can get very hot, especially when they've been left in the pot for a while!