Question

A student placed both a metal spoon and a wooden spoon in a pot of hot soup. After a few minutes, the handle of the metal spoon was hot, while the wooden spoon remained cool.

A pot filled with hot soup has two spoons placed in it. One spoon is labeled as wooden and the other as metal. Steam is rising from the soup.

Which statement best explains the difference?
Responses

A Metal is a better thermal conductor than wood.Metal is a better thermal conductor than wood.

B Metal has a higher density than wood.Metal has a higher density than wood.

C Wood is denser than metal.Wood is denser than metal.

D Both spoons absorb heat equally.

Answer 1

A

Metal conducts heat much more effectively than wood, so heat from the hot soup travels up the metal spoon to its handle. Wood is a poor thermal conductor (an insulator), so the wooden spoon's handle stays cool.