From best to worse, it would be glass, plastic, cotton and iron.
Air is the best insulator among the options listed. It has low thermal conductivity, meaning it does not easily transfer heat. Thermocol, cotton, and aluminium are not as effective as insulators compared to air.
Lots of air pockets among the threads.
Ceramic is the best insulator among these materials due to its ability to withstand high temperatures and resist conductive heat transfer. It is also non-reactive and has low thermal conductivity, making it ideal for insulating applications.
Solids are generally better (more efficient) heat conductors than liquids, which are better heat conductors than gases. Metals are the most efficient heat conductors because they contain so many free charge carriers (electrons), which carry heat efficiently -- it is difficult to keep an iron rod cold at one end and hot at the other. Plastic is probably the worst heat conductor (good heat insulator) among solids, because plastic material has few charge carriers. A piece of solid wood would be a marginal insulator from cold -- it has a finite amount of charge carriers from the moisture in the wood. With that said, the more porous the wood, the better heat insulator it is, because it has more air bubbles/pockets to do the insulation. A better construction of a cold barrier will be using two or more sheets of solid wood with a gap in between two adjacent sheets. Cork which is a wood product and used to be extensively used as an insulator, nowadays displaced by better materials.
Foam is generally considered the best insulator among wood, foam, and plastic due to its low thermal conductivity and ability to trap air, which minimizes heat transfer. While wood has decent insulating properties, it can still conduct heat more effectively than foam. Plastic can vary in insulating ability depending on its type, but it typically doesn't perform as well as foam. Overall, foam is the most effective choice for insulation.
Air is the best insulator among silver, copper, iron, and air. This is because air has a lower thermal conductivity compared to the metals silver, copper, and iron. Insulators with low thermal conductivity are better at reducing heat transfer.
The best insulator among water, nitrogen, air, and alcohol depends on the specific context. In general, materials with low thermal conductivity, such as air and nitrogen, are better insulators than those with higher thermal conductivity, like water and alcohol. However, the choice of insulator also depends on factors like the temperature range, application environment, and specific properties of the insulating material.
Cotton
Cotton is a natural material that feels great and is very easy to wash. This makes cotton products very popular among consumers.
Cotton initially struggled to grow in many regions due to unfavorable climate conditions, poor soil quality, and limited agricultural knowledge among early cultivators. Additionally, pests and diseases often affected young cotton plants, hindering growth. Over time, advancements in agricultural practices, including crop rotation and better pest management, helped improve cotton cultivation. As a result, cotton became a more viable crop in suitable climates.
Glass and wood transfer heat energy the slowest among the materials listed, with wood typically being the slowest. Metal and plastic are better conductors of heat and transfer heat energy more quickly.
plastic