Question

A fourth person at the campfire doesn't care about cold hands. He only cares that his hot

chocolate stays warm. So he pours his hot chocolate into a Styrofoam cup instead of a ceramic mug
What is special about Styrofoam? Briefly explain what the Styrofoam is doing to keep the hot
chocolate warm.

Answer 1

Styrofoam is composed of mostly of air, this means that it is a poor conductor. It traps air in small pockets, stopping the flow of hear energy, making Styrofoam an excellent insulator!

Answer 2

Styrofoam's composition is mainly air. This makes it very hard for heat to flow through it, making it one of the best insulators, since it minimizes convention and conduction. By encapsulating air in small cavities, it prevents heat from escaping, thus keeping the hot chocolate warm. On the opposite, materials like metal don't insulate heat energy enough, which means they're bad insulators.