The thermal conductivity of metals led to the need for plastic or wooden handles on metal cooking utensils. Because metal conducts heat very well, the handles of metal cooking utensils become extremely hot and difficult to handle.
What Property of Metals Led to the Use of Plastic?
The use of plastic is ubiquitous in today‘s society. Though often taken for granted, plastic is an essential material that is used in a variety of applications, from packaging to construction.
But what property of metals led to the use of plastic? It is well known that metals are good conductors of electricity. This means that they are able to easily and efficiently carry electrical current.
However, this property also means that metals are poor insulators of electricity. This is because the free electrons in the metal can easily flow from one atom to another, allowing electrical current to flow freely through the metal.
While this property is beneficial in many applications, it also presents a problem in others. For example, electrical wiring must be insulated in order to prevent dangerous electrical shocks.
Otherwise, the current would flow freely through the metal, potentially causing serious injury or even death. In order to address this problem, scientists and engineers began searching for materials that were good insulators of electricity.
One of the most promising materials they found was plastic. Plastic is an excellent insulator of electricity. This is because the molecules in plastic are much larger than the molecules in metal. As a result, the electrons in plastic are much less mobile than the electrons in metal
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