On a freezing winter morning, a person touches a wooden gate post with one hand and a steel latch with the other.
The steel latch feels much colder than the wooden post, although they have both been outside and are at the same ambient temperature.
Why is this?
Steel is a poorer thermal conductor than wood.
Steel has a lower specific heat capacity than wood.
Steel is a better thermal conductor than wood.
Steel radiates more infra-red radiation than wood.
301 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 2.3 Transfer of thermal energy, covering 2.3.1a Thermal conductors and thermal insulators, 2.3.1b Explaining thermal conduction, 2.3.2 Convection, 2.3.3a Thermal radiation, 2.3.3b Surface colour and texture, 2.3.3c Rate of emission and absorption of radiation, and 2.3.4 Consequences of thermal energy transfer. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.