Explain why a metal spoon left in a hot bowl of soup feels hotter to touch than a wooden spoon left in the same bowl of soup for the same amount of time.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
A metal spoon and a wooden spoon are both placed in a bowl of hot soup. After several minutes, a person picks up each spoon by its handle.
Model answer (5 marks)
Heat energy is transferred from the hot soup to the spoon by conduction.
Metal is a good conductor of heat, so thermal energy moves rapidly along the metal spoon.
Wood is a poor conductor (thermal insulator), so only a small amount of heat reaches the handle.
Consequently, more thermal energy is conducted along the metal spoon to the handle than to the wooden spoon.
Therefore the metal spoon handle reaches a higher temperature and feels hotter to touch.
Metal is a good conductor of heat, so thermal energy moves rapidly along the metal spoon.
Wood is a poor conductor (thermal insulator), so only a small amount of heat reaches the handle.
Consequently, more thermal energy is conducted along the metal spoon to the handle than to the wooden spoon.
Therefore the metal spoon handle reaches a higher temperature and feels hotter to touch.
Examiner tips
- Use the word ‘conduction’ early to show understanding of heat transfer. Mention the relative conductivities of metal and wood. Explain the effect on the handle’s temperature. Keep the answer concise – 5 marks can be earned with 4–5 short points.
- common_mistakes
- :
- Confusing heat transfer by radiation or convection instead of conduction. Failing to mention the relative conductivities of metal and wood. Giving a vague statement like ‘metal is hot’ without explaining why.
Mark scheme (5 marks)
- Heat energy is transferred from the hot soup to the spoon by conduction
- Metal is a good conductor (of heat / thermal energy)
- Wood is a poor conductor / thermal insulator
- More thermal energy is conducted along the metal spoon to the handle (compared to the wooden spoon)
- So the metal spoon handle reaches a higher temperature, feeling hotter to touch
Related
- All Eduqas A-Level Physics revision notes →
- How to answer a "Explain" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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