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Why is steel is a better conductor of heat than bricks.

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Steel is better conductor of heat than brick? Why?

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Swapnil Donge, Jr.Manager (2016-present)

Answered August 7, 2017

Steel is an alloy which contains Iron and carbon.

Bricks are normally are non metals or ceramics .

In case of metals , the heat is transferred due to the vibration of atoms about their

mean positions as well as due to the drift of free electrons present in them. In non

metals there are no free electrons , and hence the transfer of heat takes place only due to vibration of electrons about their mean position . At the heated end of a metal , the free electrons move faster with an increased kinetic energy , and drift towards the cooler part of the metal , hence transferring heat energy . The rate of conduction by a metal depends directly on the number of free electrons in it . hence , larger is the concentration of free electrons , more is the rate of conduction .