thermal insulator
Another example of a thermal insulator is pictured in the Figure below . The picture shows fluffy pink insulation inside the attic of a home. Like the down filling in a snowsuit, the insulation traps a lot of air. The insulation helps to prevent the transfer of thermal energy into the house on hot days and out of the house on cold days. Other materials that are thermal insulators include plastic and wood. Thats why pot handles and cooking utensils are often made of these materials. Notice that the outside of the toaster pictured in the opening image is made of plastic. The plastic casing helps prevent the transfer of thermal energy from the heating element inside to the outer surface of the toaster where it could cause burns. You can learn more about thermal insulators at this URL: http://www. school-for-champions. com/science/thermal_insulation. htm .