Science • Classes 6–8
Why does a metal spoon feel cooler?
Feeling temperature and measuring it are different things.
Take your time. Speak, draw or write your answers.
Here is what is happening.
Objects in the same room can have the same temperature but feel different. Metal usually conducts heat faster than wood. If the room is cooler than your hand, metal carries heat away from your hand faster and can feel colder.
Your little investigation
What you need
A room-temperature metal spoon and a wooden item. No hot surfaces, electricity or flames.
Leave both objects in the same room away from sunlight.
Briefly touch each. Record “feels cooler”, not an invented temperature.
Explain what a thermometer could tell you that touch cannot.
Why can metal feel cooler than wood at the same temperature?
KEEP ASKING
All activities in your group