Simulation of thermal conductivity
This simulation helps GCSE Physics students visualise thermal conduction — the transfer of energy through a material from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. Students select from four materials (Wood, Glass, Steel, and Copper) and observe in real time how heat spreads across the rod from the hot end (400°C) to the cold end (20°C).
The colour gradient shifting from orange-red to blue across the rod represents the temperature profile through the material, while the moving particles represent energy being transferred by conduction. Both the speed of the gradient change and the density and speed of the particles increase with higher thermal conductivity, making the abstract concept visually immediate.
The transfer rate bar shows the relative rate of conduction, directly reflecting the material’s k value (thermal conductivity in W/m·K) — from Wood at just 0.13 to Copper at 400.
This supports the following GCSE Physics specification points across AQA, OCR, and Edexcel:
- Energy can be transferred by conduction through solid materials
- The rate of energy transfer by conduction depends on the thermal conductivity of the material
- Metals are good conductors; non-metals such as wood and glass are poor conductors (insulators)
- Students should be able to explain conduction in terms of particles and energy transfer
- The higher the thermal conductivity, the greater the rate of energy transfer across the material for a given temperature difference