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

$A$ window used to thermally insulate a room from outside consists of two parallel glass sheets each of area $2.6 \,m^2$ and thickness $1 \,cm$ separated by $5 \,cm$ thick stagnant air. In the steady state, the room-glass interface is at $18^{\circ} C$ and the glass-outdoor interface is at $-2^{\circ} C$. If the thermal conductivities of glass and air are respectively $0.8 \,Wm^{-1} K^{-1}$ and $0.08 \,Wm^{-1} K^{-1}$, the rate of flow of heat through the window is (in $\,W$)

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 .......... $s$.

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

Two metal slabs of same cross-sectional area have thicknesses $d_1$ and $d_2$,and thermal conductivities $K_1$ and $K_2$ respectively,are connected in series. The free ends of the two slabs are kept at temperatures $T_1$ and $T_2$ $(T_1 > T_2)$. The temperature $T$ of their common junction is

Two identical metal rods are welded end-to-end as shown in figure $(1)$. It takes $4 \ min$ for $20 \ cal$ of heat to flow through them. If these rods are now welded side-by-side as shown in figure $(2)$,the time taken for the same amount of heat to flow through them is .......... $\min$.