Students were investigating heat transfer by conduction and they set up the simple experiment you see here. They utilized three spoons made of different materials: the specific heat capacity of each material was recorded in the students' data table. Each spoon
was placed in a pot of hot (90°C) water and a pat of butter was placed on the handle of each spoon. The butter melted first on the tin
spoon and in about the same amount of time on the plastic and wood spoons. Based on the data table and the experimental results
select ALL of the conclusions that are appropriate.
A)
B)
Conduction occurred more readily in the tin due to its lower specific heat
capacity.
Heat transfer via conduction occurred from the hot water to the spoons
and then to the butter
When in contact with hot water, there was no transfer of kinetic energy
through the wood or plastic
The atoms in the tin spoon vibrated and collided at a greater rate than
those in the wood or plastic spoons.
In all three cases energy is transferred from the faster moving hot water
molecules to the slower moving molecules in the spoon.
D)
E)