Heat Transfer

Learn about Conduction, Convection & Radiation

We all know that Heat is a form of energy

You might think that heat energy is just heat energy. However there are different ways that that heat energy can transfer from one thing to other. Conduction, Convection & Radiation are the 3 types of ways that heat can transfer that I will be talking about.

First of all, Conduction.

Conduction includes particles, a lot of them.

If I were to heat up one end of a metal chances are that other the end will soon become hot too right? That's what Conduction is. The particles in an object heat up, when the particles become hot enough they create a chain reaction down the object. An everyday example is when you sit a pan on a stove. As the pan heats up so will the handle, making it hot to the touch.

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Now, Convection

Ever wonder how all of the water in a kettle is roughly the same temperature? It is because Convection helps keep it all hot.

When water starts to heat up the water on the bottom will become hotter then the water on top. Once the water becomes fairly hot it will rise to the top helping the colder water to be pushed down. Also, the colder water is more dense so it will sink to the bottom anyway.

Lastly, Radiation.

When you sit near a fire you feel warm. Thats because of Radiation.

Radiation is invisible air waves that carry cold or hot air. It can be used in many different ways like on a stove, in an oven or near a fire. The Sun is also another form of radiation.