Heat Needs To Travel Along A Conductive Material

Submitted By rallyboy18
Words: 352
Pages: 2

Genna Deleon
Ms. Read
Phys. Science
5 November 2009

Assignment 1.2.4

Heat needs to travel along a conductive material. Out of millions of minerals in the world what is the best conductor? Ask an electrician and he will tell you copper. Ask a scientist and the list is endless. The question is: wWhat is the best conductor? The amount of heat depends on the conductivity of the material.

Conduction is made possible by materials that allow free electrons to move easily from one atom to another. (Good.) Thermal conductivity depends on many properties of a material like its structure and natural temperature. Metals are the best conductors of heat but there are many different types. Aluminum and stainless steal (steel) for example;, are two types of metals but different conductors of electricity. Many people cook with stainless steal (steel) pots and pans at a conductivity level of 12.11-45.0 iIt can get hot enough to cook or burn your food. Mean while Meanwhile pure aluminum pure is 237k. aAlloys are 120-180k meaning it can get extremely hot. I don’t think you want to cook with this unless its aluminum foil. (Good use of personal opinion here. Nice touch.)

It is important to know the conductivity of different materials. A construction worker or repair man would likely know the conductivity levels of epoxy. Silica-filled or unfilled epoxy had different levels of conductivity. Unfilled epoxy has a higher level of heat conduction at 0.59 W / (m-K). Silica-filled epoxy is .30.