The metals aluminium and copper can be used to make pans for cooking. Table 2 shows information about the two metals. The higher the value for thermal conductivity, the better the metal conducts thermal energy. Evaluate the use of pans made of aluminium and of copper. Use Table 2.
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<table border="1" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; border: 2px solid black;"> <caption style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;">Table 2</caption> <tr> <th style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; background-color: #f0f0f0;"></th> <th style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; background-color: #f0f0f0;">Aluminium</th> <th style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; background-color: #f0f0f0;">Copper</th> </tr> <tr> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;">Thermal conductivity in<br/>arbitrary units</td> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">250</td> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">400</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;">Density in g/cm<sup>3</sup></td> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">2.7</td> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">8.9</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;">Cost of metal per kg in £</td> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">1.50</td> <td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">7.00</td> </tr> </table>

How to approach this question

To "evaluate", you need to consider the pros and cons of each option based on the data provided.\n1. Look at each property in the table (thermal conductivity, density, cost) for both metals.\n2. For each property, decide which metal is "better" for making a cooking pan.\n - **Thermal conductivity:** Higher is better for even cooking. Compare 400 for copper and 250 for aluminium.\n - **Density:** Lower is better for a lighter pan. Compare 8.9 for copper and 2.7 for aluminium.\n - **Cost:** Lower is better for affordability. Compare £7.00 for copper and £1.50 for aluminium.\n3. Write sentences comparing the metals for each property, stating which is better and why.\n4. Conclude with an overall judgement, weighing up the different factors.

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**Arguments for Copper:**\nCopper is a better thermal conductor (400 vs 250), so it will heat up faster and more evenly, which is good for cooking.\n\n**Arguments against Copper:**\nCopper is much more expensive (£7.00/kg vs £1.50/kg) and is much denser (8.9 g/cm³ vs 2.7 g/cm³), making the pan heavier.\n\n**Arguments for Aluminium:**\nAluminium is much cheaper (£1.50/kg vs £7.00/kg) and less dense (2.7 g/cm³ vs 8.9 g/cm³), making the pan lighter and more affordable.\n\n**Arguments against Aluminium:**\nAluminium is a poorer thermal conductor than copper (250 vs 400), so it may not cook as evenly.\n\n**Conclusion:**\nOverall, aluminium is often preferred for everyday pans because it is significantly cheaper and lighter, even though copper is a better conductor. Copper might be used for high-end professional cookware where performance is more important than cost.

This question requires a balanced evaluation of both metals for making cooking pans, using the data from Table 2.\n\n**Copper:**\n- **Advantage:** It has a higher thermal conductivity (400 vs 250). This is a major advantage for a cooking pan as it means heat will spread more quickly and evenly, leading to better cooking results.\n- **Disadvantages:** It is much denser (8.9 g/cm³ vs 2.7 g/cm³), which would make a copper pan significantly heavier than an aluminium one of the same size. It is also much more expensive (£7.00 per kg vs £1.50 per kg), making the final product less affordable.\n\n**Aluminium:**\n- **Advantages:** It is much less dense (2.7 g/cm³), making for a lighter, easier-to-handle pan. It is also considerably cheaper (£1.50 per kg), making it more accessible for most consumers.\n- **Disadvantage:** Its thermal conductivity is lower than copper's (250). This means it might not heat as evenly, potentially leading to "hot spots" during cooking.\n\n**Conclusion:** While copper offers superior cooking performance due to its high thermal conductivity, its high cost and weight make aluminium a more practical and popular choice for everyday cookware.

Common mistakes

✗ Just listing the data from the table without any comparison or explanation.\n✗ Only discussing one metal.\n✗ Not linking the property to its consequence (e.g., "Aluminium has a lower density" without saying this makes the pan lighter).

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