Heat and Energy
Heat is a type of energy that moves from hot things to cold things. Let's explore how!
Sources of Heat
Heat is a form of energy that makes things warm or hot. Heat comes from many sources.
The Sun
Our biggest heat source
Fire
Burns fuel to make heat
Electricity
Heaters, ovens, toasters
Friction
Rub your hands together!
How Does Heat Move?
Heat always moves from something hot to something cold. It never goes the other way!
HOT cocoa
Heat moves this way
COLD hands
When you hold a warm cup, heat moves from the hot drink into your cold hands. That is why your hands feel warmer!
Real-World Examples
- ● A hot pie cools down on the bench (heat moves to the cooler air)
- ● An ice cream melts in your hand (heat from your hand moves to the cold ice cream)
- ● A metal spoon in hot soup gets warm (heat from the soup moves to the spoon)
Conductors and Insulators
Some materials let heat pass through them easily. Others block heat from moving.
Conductors 🔥
Materials that let heat pass through easily.
Insulators ❄️
Materials that slow down or block heat.
💡 Think About It!
Why do saucepans have plastic or wooden handles? Why not metal handles? What makes you say that?
Keeping Warm and Keeping Cool
🔥 Keeping Warm
We use insulators to trap heat and stay warm:
- ● Wearing a woolly jumper
- ● Wrapping in a blanket
- ● Using a sleeping bag
- ● Double-glazed windows in houses
❄️ Keeping Cool
We keep cool by helping heat escape:
- ● Wearing light-coloured clothes
- ● Using a fan to move air
- ● Staying in the shade
- ● Keeping food in the fridge
🧪 Try It at Home!
Which Material Keeps Water Warm Longest?
You will need: 3 cups of warm water (same temperature) and different wrapping materials.
- Cup 1: Wrap in a wool sock
- Cup 2: Wrap in aluminium foil
- Cup 3: No wrapping (control)
- After 15 minutes, carefully feel each cup (with a grown-up)
- Which cup stayed warmest? Which cooled down fastest?
The wool sock is an insulator — it traps the heat in. The unwrapped cup loses heat to the air fastest!
Key Vocabulary
Heat
A form of energy that makes things warm. It moves from hot to cold.
Conductor
A material that lets heat pass through it easily. Metal is a good conductor.
Insulator
A material that slows down heat from moving. Wood and fabric are insulators.
Friction
A force created when two surfaces rub together. Friction makes heat.
Knowledge Check
Choose the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right!
Question 1
Heat always moves from...
Question 2
Which of these is a good conductor of heat?
Question 3
When you rub your hands together quickly, they feel warm because of...
Question 4
Why do we wear jumpers in cold weather?
Question 5
Why do saucepan handles often have wooden or plastic grips?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Heat is a form of energy. Sources include the sun, fire, electricity, and friction.
- ●Heat always moves from hot to cold.
- ●Conductors (like metal) let heat pass through easily.
- ●Insulators (like wood, plastic, and fabric) slow heat down.
- ●We use insulators to keep warm (jumpers) and conductors to transfer heat (metal pans).