If one end of a 2 foot piece of metal and one end of a 2 foot piece of wood were both poked into the hot embers of a fire on which material would the opposite end heat up faster. Why

The metal because it is a thermal conductor
The wood because it is a better thermal insulator
The wood because it is a better thermal conductor
The metal because it is a better thermal insulator.

1 answer

The correct answer is: The metal because it is a thermal conductor.

Metals are generally good thermal conductors, meaning they can transfer heat quickly from one end to the other. In contrast, wood is a better thermal insulator, which means it does not transfer heat as effectively. As a result, the opposite end of the metal piece will heat up faster than the opposite end of the wood piece when both are exposed to the hot embers of a fire.