Conduction: travelling heat

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Q1: Why is it better to have a plastic handle on a kettle, rather than a copper one?

[Answer]

Some things are very good at allowing heat to travel through them. They are called conductors.

Metals are very good conductors, although some metals, such as copper, are far better conductors than metals such as iron.

Things that conduct heat poorly are called insulators. Nearly everything except metal is an insulator. For example, the air, plastic and even water are all insulators.