The Power of Steel: Which Spoon Handle Gets Hot the Quickest?

Question:

Suppose you had four spoons the same size and shape made out of glass, plastic, steel, and wood. Which spoon handle would get hot the quickest when the spoons are placed in a pan of hot water?

Options:

A. steel spoon
B. plastic spoon
C. wood spoon
D. glass spoon

Answer:

A. steel spoon

Explanation: A steel spoon will get hot the quickest from the different given spoons. This is because steel is predominantly made up of a metal which shows metallic properties such as heat conduction. Metals have low specific heat capacity, which is the amount of heat needed to raise 1g of a substance by 1°C. Due to this, metals will conduct heat at a very fast rate. The delocalized electron around the central nucleus plays a very important role in this process. Other properties originating from metallic bonds are ductility, malleability, luster, etc.