Conductors of Heat

I could not get a photo because there was none on the daily photo journal and I didn't have one previously.

Questions

1. How did heat energy transfer to the butter in this experiment?
2. What connections can you make between this experiment and yesterday's experiment?  "Both today's experiment and yesterday's experiment...  The main differences were..."
3. How did your results compare to your predictions?
4. Which of the tested materials were the two best conductors?  What is your evidence?
5. Which of the tested materials were the two worst conductors?  What is your evidence?
6. Do you think water is a good or poor conductor?  Why?  Can you think of any evidence to support your answer?
7. Why do you think it matters which material is a good or bad conductor?  How do we use conductors in our life?

Answers

Predictions: I think that the butter will slide in the following order brass, copper, aluminum, plastic, and finally bamboo

1. It went through the rod from the coffee warmer to the butter.  The heat energy melted the butter from the inside and made it slide down
2. In both experiments we were dealing with heat energy and how it traveled through the cups or the rods.  A big difference was that in today's experiment we were using rods and in yesterday's experiment we were using cups to carry the energy
3. I thought that the brass would go first, the copper would go second, the aluminum would go third, the plastic would go fourth, and the bamboo would go last.  Actually the copper went first, the aluminum went second, the brass went third, plastic went fourth, and bamboo went last.
4. I think the two best conductors were the aluminum and the copper because the butter on those rods melted within 13 seconds
5. The best insulators (or worst conductors) were the plastic and the bamboo.  I'm writing this at the sixty-two minute mark and they haven't even moved.
6. I think that water is an excellent conductor.   I know this because I sometimes read the warning labels on my sister's hair dryer.  It said that water is a very good conductor and could electrocute you.
   
7. I think it matters because if you have a poor conductor you won't get energy and what ever you are trying to power won't get that much energy.  Some of the main uses are powering light bulbs and ovens.