Re: Is a good conductor of electricity also a good conductor of heat?

Weena,

Absolutely. The reason that metals make such good conductors of both electricity and heat is that they have a lot of electrons in their outer orbitals which can move freely between one atom and the next.

These electrons have little hindrance when trying to move to the area with the lowest potential energy. In the case of electrical conduction, if you put an electric potential(voltage) across a piece of metal, the electrons move towards the positive pole. In the case of thermal conduction, if you warm one part of the metal, the electrons move to the cooler parts. The easier it is for the electrons to move, the better the conductor.

Interestingly, have you ever noticed that mirrors are also made of metal? Since light can be described as an electromagnetic wave, good conductors also make good reflectors. But that's another story.... :-)

Hope this helps!
Sam