medium · Act science
Two students debate why a metal spoon left in hot soup becomes warm faster than a plastic spoon. Student 1 says metals conduct heat better, so the metal spoon transfers heat along itself more quickly. Student 2 says the spoons warm at the same rate and the metal only feels warmer because metal is denser. The students measured the handle temperature of each spoon after 60 s in identical hot soup: metal handle = 48 °C, plastic handle = 29 °C (soup = 70 °C).
Which student's view do the data support, and why?
- Student 2, because both handles reached the same final temperature.
- Student 1, because the metal handle warmed much more than the plastic handle in the same time.
- Student 2, because density determines how warm a handle feels.
- Student 1, because the plastic handle reached a higher temperature than the metal handle.
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