Insulators and Conductors Experiment

The students are doing an experiment involving the movement of thermal energy. Thermal energy moves from hot areas to cold areas and different materials can either allow or hinder this movement of energy. The students are holding 4 different materials (steel cup, foam cup, plastic cup, coffee cup) with equal amounts of ice in each. They want to see which material will best transfer the heat from their hands to the ice therefore melting it. The material that allows easy movement of energy (heat) is called a conductor and a material that slows down the movement is called an insulator.