How can sheets of paper keep ice cream cold and chips hot?

This is a bit of a trick question! Paper alone can't really do either of those things very effectively. Here's why:

* Keeping Ice Cream Cold: Paper is a poor insulator. It allows heat to transfer easily through it. To keep ice cream cold, you need a material that will slow down the transfer of heat from the warm air to the ice cream. This is why ice cream comes in containers with insulation, like styrofoam or plastic.

* Keeping Chips Hot: Paper is also a poor insulator for heat. Again, it allows heat to escape quickly. You would need a material that traps the heat, like aluminum foil, to help keep chips hot.

Here's how things work better:

* Keeping Ice Cream Cold: A paper towel can help *absorb* some of the melted ice cream, which helps to prevent the container from getting too messy. However, it won't actually keep the ice cream cold for long.

* Keeping Chips Hot: A paper bag might *slightly* help to keep chips hot by slowing down the loss of heat, but it won't be very effective. They are more helpful for holding the chips together than actually keeping them hot.

The Bottom Line:

Paper is more about containment than insulation. To really keep ice cream cold or chips hot, you need materials designed to slow down heat transfer.