Middle School

What are conduction, convection, and radiation?

Answer :

Conduction, convection, and radiation are all methods of heat transfer. Conduction occurs through direct contact, convection through the movement of fluids, and radiation through electromagnetic waves, each facilitated by temperature differences.

Conduction, Convection, and Radiation

Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct contact between materials. An example of this would be heat passing from a stove burner into a metal pan. In conduction, the heat transfers through stationary matter, and it relies on the physical interactions, such as molecular collisions.

Convection involves the transfer of heat by the actual movement, or circulation, of a fluid, which can be a liquid or a gas. An everyday example of convection is the heat transfer that occurs in a pot of boiling water. In weather systems and home heating, convection plays a key role as well.

Radiation, on the other hand, is the transfer of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. This can occur without the need for a material medium. A common experience of radiant heat transfer is feeling the warmth from sunlight, or from a fire's glow.

All three methods, conduction, convection, and radiation, are driven by a temperature difference and can occur simultaneously in certain conditions.