Simple Heat Conduction Experiment

This experiment compares how well different materials - metal, wood, and plastic - conduct heat by observing how quickly butter melts on each spoon after being heated in boiling water. The results demonstrate that metals conduct heat much more effectively than wood or plastic.

1. Fill a pot with water and place it on a stove or hot plate until it reaches boiling or near boiling.
2. Place three spoons—one metal, one wooden, and one plastic—into the hot water and leave them for a few minutes.
3. Prepare small pats of butter or margarine.
4. Remove the spoons from the water and quickly place a pat of butter on each spoon.
5. Observe and compare how quickly the butter melts on each spoon.
6. Record your observations and discuss which material is the best heat conductor.

Heat Conductivity – Spoon Test - Next Generation Science:

How to make Heat Conduction Experiment - STEM Little Explorers:

📄 Heat Conduction Experiment - Layers of Learning: https://layers-of-learning.com/heat-conduction-experiment/

• Try using chocolate, cheese, or another meltable substance instead of butter.
• Test additional materials such as glass, ceramic, or fabric against metal.

• Adult supervision required—experiment involves boiling water and hot utensils.
• Use oven mitts or tongs when handling hot spoons.
• Keep young children at a safe distance from the stove.
• Do not use materials that could release toxic fumes when heated.

• Which spoon conducted heat the fastest, and why? (The metal spoon, because metals have freely moving electrons that transfer energy efficiently.)
• Why did the butter on the plastic spoon melt much more slowly? (Plastic is a poor conductor of heat.)
• What would happen if oven mitts were made of metal instead of fabric? (They would quickly transfer heat to your hands, making them dangerous to use.)
• Is cold conducted the same way as heat? (No, cold is the absence of heat; only heat is transferred.)