Heat Transfer: Metal vs Plastic Spoon

How does heat transfer differ between a metal spoon and a plastic spoon when placed in hot water?

Which spoon feels hotter and why?

Answer:

A metal spoon feels hotter than a plastic spoon when placed in hot water because metal conducts heat better than plastic. This allows heat to travel quickly from the hot water to the metal spoon than to the plastic spoon.

Heat transfer differs between a metal spoon and a plastic spoon due to the various physical properties of the materials. Metal is a good conductor of heat, meaning it easily allows heat to travel through it. When the metal spoon is placed in hot water, the heat quickly travels from the hotter object (the water) to the colder object (the spoon), making the spoon feel hot.

On the other hand, plastic is a poor conductor of heat. It doesn't allow heat to travel through it easily, so even when the plastic spoon is placed in hot water, the rate of heat transfer is much slower compared to the metal spoon. This is why the plastic spoon feels only warm, not hot.

An important thing to note is the concept of specific heat, which is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a substance. Some materials have higher specific heats than others. In this case, the metal has a lower specific heat than the plastic, meaning it requires less heat to raise its temperature.