Why do people prefer to give a layer of sand or foam insulation on ceilings made of concrete?

$A$ square is formed by four identical rods. If the temperature difference across one diagonal is $100^{\circ}C$,what will be the temperature difference across the other diagonal?

Two rods of same material have same length and area. The heat $\Delta Q$ flows through them for $12 \, \text{minutes}$ when they are joined in series. If now both the rods are joined in parallel,then the same amount of heat $\Delta Q$ will flow in ........ $\text{minutes}$.

The ratio of thermal conductivity of two rods $A$ and $B$ with the same area of cross-section is $3: 2$. If the thermal resistance of two rods is the same,then the ratio of length of rod $A$ to length of rod $B$ is

Two rectangular blocks,having identical dimensions,can be arranged either in configuration $I$ or in configuration $II$ as shown in the figure. One of the blocks has thermal conductivity $k$ and the other $2k$. The temperature difference between the ends along the $x$-axis is the same in both the configurations. It takes $9 \ s$ to transport a certain amount of heat from the hot end to the cold end in the configuration $I$. The time to transport the same amount of heat in the configuration $II$ is: (in $s$)

Two rods of same length and material transfer a given amount of heat in $12 \, s$ when they are joined end to end. But when they are joined lengthwise (parallel),they will transfer the same amount of heat under the same conditions in .......... $s$.