How can Earl demonstrate conduction between a metal pan and a burner?

Demonstrating conduction involves showing how heat is transferred through direct contact between two materials. When Earl touches the metal pan to the burner, heat energy from the burner is transferred directly to the pan through conduction, as both surfaces are in contact. This physical contact allows the metal atoms in the pan to absorb energy from the burner, causing them to vibrate more rapidly and increase in temperature.

Increasing the temperature of the burner would enhance the heat transfer, but it does not actively demonstrate the process of conduction, which relies on contact. Using a glass pan instead of a metal pan negates the demonstration entirely because glass is not as good a conductor of heat compared to metal, thus inhibiting the effective transfer of heat through conduction. Lastly, using foam potholders to hold the pan would serve as an insulator, preventing heat transfer from the burner to the pan, and therefore would not illustrate conduction at all.