Heat can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the transfer of kinetic energy between adjacent atoms or molecules through direct contact. Metals are good conductors as they have free electrons that allow heat transfer. Convection occurs in fluids and involves the circulation of heated parts of a fluid that rise and are replaced by cooler parts. Common examples of convection include heat transfer by an electric heater or air cooler through convection currents.
Heat can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the transfer of kinetic energy between adjacent atoms or molecules through direct contact. Metals are good conductors as they have free electrons that allow heat transfer. Convection occurs in fluids and involves the circulation of heated parts of a fluid that rise and are replaced by cooler parts. Common examples of convection include heat transfer by an electric heater or air cooler through convection currents.
Heat can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the transfer of kinetic energy between adjacent atoms or molecules through direct contact. Metals are good conductors as they have free electrons that allow heat transfer. Convection occurs in fluids and involves the circulation of heated parts of a fluid that rise and are replaced by cooler parts. Common examples of convection include heat transfer by an electric heater or air cooler through convection currents.
Heat can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the transfer of kinetic energy between adjacent atoms or molecules through direct contact. Metals are good conductors as they have free electrons that allow heat transfer. Convection occurs in fluids and involves the circulation of heated parts of a fluid that rise and are replaced by cooler parts. Common examples of convection include heat transfer by an electric heater or air cooler through convection currents.
Heat energy can be transferred by conduction, convection and radiation. Insulation is used to stop/reduce heat energy transfers from buildings and the human body or any other bodies. Heat always flows from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature
CONDUCTION
Conduction is the method of heat transfer due to the vibration of the atoms of the matter. For two separate bodies to transfer heat from one to the other, they need to be in direct contact.
In conduction, the matter itself does not move. The atoms of the matter vibrate and transfer their energies onto their neighbouring atoms
Metals are good conductors of heat because they have free electrons, but non-metals and gases are usually poor conductors. Poor conductors are called insulators.
Heat energy is conducted from the hot end of an object to the cold end.
Conduction in metals
The electrons in a piece of metal can move about in the metal
as free electrons. The atoms in the metal are packed closely together and they vibrate continually. The hotter the metal, the more kinetic energy these vibrations have. This kinetic energy is transferred from hot parts of the metal to cooler parts by the free electrons.
These move through the structure of the metal, colliding with
the atoms as they go.
Investigating conductors
An experiment can be used to investigate which metal is
the best conductor of heat. It involves some long thin strips of different metals (eg steel, aluminium and copper), wax/vaseline, drawing pins and a Bunsen burner.
● Fix the drawing pin to the end of the metal strip using drops of wax.
● Position the other end of the metal strip into a Bunsen flame.
● Record the time taken for the wax to melt and the drawing pin to drop off.
The fastest time shows the best conductor of heat.
CONVECTION
Convection is the method of heat transfer due to the flow of the matter itself. Convection only occurs in fluids. Gases and liquids are both fluids because they can flow from one place to the other.
The diagram on the left shows heat transfer around an electric
heater due to convection.
● The heater heats up the air directly above it
● The warm air expands, becomes less dense and rises
● The cold air from the surrounding takes its place
● A convection current is set up.
The diagram on the left shows how heat is transferred around an
air cooler due to convection –
Convection is also responsible for sea breeze and land breeze. This is illustrated in the diagrams below -
