Question

A poker is a stiff, nonflammable rod used to push burning logs around in a fireplace. for safety and comfort of use, the poker should be made from a material with which properties?

Answer 1

Answer: The poker stick should have low thermal conductivity and high specific heat.

Explanation: For a poker stick that is non flammable, it should have some properties which will not let it heat up faster.

Two properties that satisfy the poker stick are:

1. Specific heat
2. Thermal conductivity

Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat require to raise the temperature of a mass M by 1 °C. More the specific heat, more amount of heat will be required to raise the temperature of a substance.

Thermal conductivity is defined as the ability of a substance to conduct heat. More thermal conductivity means that the substance will get hot faster as it will conduct more amount of heat.

So, for a substance that should not conduct more heat like the poker stick must have high specific heat and low thermal conductivity.