What makes styrofoam a good insulator?

Answer 1

Styrofoam is a good insulator because it has tiny air pockets that are warmed by the air around it. Once the air's around it temperature drops the styrofoam gives off the heat stored in the pockets of air.

Answer 2

Styrofoam is actually a plastic with lots of tiny bubbles trapped inside of it. Because the foam is packed with bubbles, there is relatively little plastic to conduct heat. The bubbles themselves are too small to set up a convection current, and don't conduct very well because they are gaseous. As a result, the Styrofoam works as an insulator, only letting heat transfer through it slowly

Answer 3

Styrofoam is a good insulator because the plastic foam contains billions of trapped gas bubbles. Gases hinder heat conduction because their molecules are very far apart making it difficult for other molecules to collide with them. When molecules DO collide, they either give or take away energy.

The polystyrene plastic in between the bubbles is also a good insulator. Its molecules are so big that they can't move around much - thus hindering heat transfer.

Answer 4

Styrofoam is such a great insulator because it has little air pockets that hold the heat in or the cold in.

Answer 5

Its because the fibers in the foam are not porous therefore no heat or energy can easily be lost in Styrofoam than that of glass, plastic, or paper

Answer 6

Air is in between the Styrofoam spaces, and air is a very good insulator. that is why they tell you to dress in layers when out in the cold.

Answer 7

Because it contains small air spaces where it is harder for the molecules to pass through.