NCERT Solutions Curiosity Chapter 4 Activity 4.3: Let us investigate — Conduction of heat
Book page 46 & 47 Updated on2026-09-05
Q1.
Which of the spoons get hotter?
Answer
The metal spoon gets hotter. Touch the upper end of each spoon after a few minutes and the difference is unmistakable.
Spoon
Upper end after a few minutes
Conclusion
Metal spoon
Distinctly hot to touch
Metal is a good conductor of heat
Wooden spoon
Barely warm
Wood is a poor conductor of heat
Both spoons stand in the same hot water for the same time, yet only the metal one carries the heat up to your fingers.
Caution: perform this only under the supervision of your teacher or an adult, and be careful while handling hot water.
Q2.
What does this experiment tell us about heat transfer along the two spoons?
Answer
It tells us that heat travels easily along the metal spoon and very poorly along the wooden spoon, even though both were dipped in water of the same temperature for the same time.
Transfer of heat from one point of a material to another = conduction
Materials that transfer heat = conductors Metals → good conductors of heat. Wood → poor conductor of heat.
Why it happens: the only difference between the two spoons was the material — the size, thickness, water and time were all kept the same. So the difference in the result must come from the material itself. This is what makes it a fair experiment.
Tip: this is why metal cooking vessels are given wooden or plastic handles, and why you will meet this idea again in the chapter ‘Heat Transfer in Nature’.