Heating Water with Ice

This model shows an experiment which demonstrate that **water is a poor heat conductor**. A test tube filled with water has a **piece of ice** fixed at the bottom by a wire mesh. The upper part of test tube is heated with a Bunsen burner until the water boils there. The ice at the lower part of the test tube does not melt quickly even when the water boils at the top.



Conduction of heat happens when a hot object is placed in direct contact with a cold object. **The more energetic particles of the hot object transfer heat energy to the less energetic particles of the cold object**.



Conduction is very intensive mainly in solids where the particles are held together by strong **inter-molecular forces**. Vibration energy of particles **is less easily transmitted through a liquid**. Also **gases are very poor conductors of heat** because their particles are widely separated.