You will need eight glasses, water, a pitcher, a kettle or pot to boil water in, a digital thermometer and a hot pad. Metal rods are key for this experiment. You will need three rods each of each type of metal you choose to use in the experiment. They should be 12-inches long and 1-inch in diameter. Choose a few different types of metals such as copper, brass or steel. The night before performing the activity, fill the pitcher with water and let it become sufficiently chilled in the refrigerator.
Place the glasses into pairs, arranging them close together. Be sure, however, that the sides of the glasses do not touch. Bend the metal rods in half forming an upside down U shape. An adult should be the one to boil water in the kettle or pot. When the water has reached a full boil the adult should pour the water and fill one of the glasses in each pair. Fill the other glass in each pair with the cold water from the pitcher which has been chilled overnight.
Quickly record on a chart the temperature of the cold water glasses. Number the sets 1 through 3. Place the bent metal rods you formed between the pairs of glasses. Place all three bent copper rods over the glasses so that the ends are in the water. Place all three brass bridges in another pair of glasses and the steel bridges in the final pair. It's important that the ends of each rod extend below water level in each glass.
Record the temperature of the water in the cold water side of each pair at 5 minute intervals for 30 full minutes total to determine the change. Record your findings and determine which of the metals conducted heat best by determining which had the greatest temperature change. Each glass should be a different temperature and the one with the warmest temperature was the best conductor of heat.