A student is given 2 small, identical ice cubes and places the ice cubes on blocks of two unknown materials. The ice cube on Block #1 melts in 37 seconds. The ice cube on Block #2 melts in 24 seconds. Based on this information, what should the student deduce about the unknown material of the blocks?
To deduce conclusions about the unknown materials of the blocks based on the melting times of the ice cubes, you can consider the concept of thermal conductivity. The rate at which a substance conducts heat is determined by its thermal conductivity. Materials with higher thermal conductivity transfer heat more efficiently and would cause the ice to melt faster.
In this scenario, the ice cube on Block #2 melts faster (in 24 seconds) compared to the ice cube on Block #1 (in 37 seconds). Therefore, we can infer that Block #2 is made of a material with higher thermal conductivity compared to Block #1.
Since the ice cubes are identical and have the same initial conditions, the discrepancy in melting times suggests that Block #2 facilitates the transfer of heat better than Block #1. Hence, the student can deduce that the unknown material of Block #2 has a higher thermal conductivity than the unknown material of Block #1.
if the blocks are starting at the same temperature
... which one is a better conductor of heat?