Thermal

Processes
 Table of Contents
“Click on the arrows”

01 02 03 04
Consequences of
Conduction Convection Radiation Energy Transfer

The main method of The main way that Energy spreading out There are consequences
thermal energy transfer heat travels through from a source carried of energy transfer in all
in solids liquids and gases by particles or waves conduction, convection
and radiation
 01
Conduction
 What is conduction?

● Non-metals are poor at

conducting heat whilst
liquids and gases are
extremely poor ● Materials
● Poor conductors are called containing small
● Conduction is the main insulators pockets of
method of thermal trapped air are
energy transfer in solids especially good at
● Metals are extremely insulating, as air is
good at conducting heat a gas and hence
a poor conductor
 How does Conduction Occur?

● When a substance is ● As they do so they ● Metals are especially good at

heated, the atoms bump into each other, conducting heat as the
delocalised electrons can collide
start to move around transferring energy
with the atoms, helping to
(vibrate) more from atom to atom transfer the vibrations through
the material
Demonstrating Conduction
● A simple experiment to demonstrate the relative
conducting properties of different materials can be
carried out using apparatus similar to that shown in
the diagram below
● Ball bearings can be stuck to each of the strips and
equal distance from the centre, using a small amount
of wax
● The strips should then be turned upside down and
the centre heated gently using a candle, so that each
of the strips is heated at the point where they meet
● When the heat is conducted along to the ball bearing,
the wax will melt and the ball bearing will drop
● By timing how long this takes for each of the strips,
their relative thermal conductivities can be
determined
 02
Convection
 What is Convection?

Definition However
Convection is the Convection cannot
main way heat happen in solids.
travels through
liquids and gases.
How does Convection happen?
● The molecules push each other
apart, making the liquid/gas expand
● This makes the hot liquid/gas less
dense than the surroundings
● The hot liquid/gas rises, and the
cooler (surrounding) liquid/gas
moves in to take its place
● Eventually the hot liquid/gas cools,
contracts and sinks back down
again
● The resulting motion is called a
convection current
Convection Diagram
Demonstrating Convection
● A simple demonstration of
convection in liquids involves taking a
beaker of water and placing a few
crystals of potassium permanganate
in it, to one side, as shown in the
diagram above

● When the water is heated at that

side, the potassium permanganate
will dissolve in the heated water and
rise along with the warmed water,
revealing the convection current
Demonstrating Convection
Experiment Video
 03
Radiation
 Radiation: Basics
All hot objects give off thermal radiation: the
hotter they are, the more they emit.
Thermal radiation is part of the electromagnetic
spectrum - infrared.

Thermal radiation is the only way in which heat can

travel through a vacuum it is the way in which heat
reaches us from the sun
The colour of an object affects how good it is at emitting and
absorbing thermal radiation.
COLOUR ABSORBING EMITTING
Black Good Absorber Good Emitter

Reasonable
Dull Absorber
Reasonable Emitter

White Poor Absorber Poor Emitter

Very Poor
Shiny Absorber
Very Poor Emitter
● Black objects are very good at absorbing thermal radiation (think
about black leather seats in strong sunshine) but also very good
emitting it (when it goes dark those seats cool down quickly.
● Shiny objects reflect thermal radiation and so absorb very little. They
also emit very little, though, and so take longer to cool down

An image of a hot object taken in both infrared and visible light. The black surface emits more thermal
radiation (infrared) than the shiny surface
 Factors Affecting Emission of Radiation
- The amount of thermal radiation emitted by an object depends on
a number of factors

● The surface area of

● The temperature of ● The colour of the the object (greater
the object (hotter = object (black = surface area = more
more radiation) more radiation) area for radiation to be
emitted from.
 Demonstrating Radiation
To demonstrate the absorption of thermal radiation:

- take two conical flasks - one painted with silver paint, the other with
black paint - and place thermometers and bungs in them

- measure and record their initial temperatures

- place two flasks an equal distance from an incandescent light bulb (a

good source of radiation) and switch the bulb on

- after a few minutes (between 2 and 5) switch the bulb off and record
the new temperatures of the flasks. (the blacks flask’s temperature
should have increased by more)
 Demonstrating Radiation
● To demonstrate the emission of thermal radiation:
○ Fill the shiny beakers with boiling water
○ Once each beaker reaches a set temperature
(e.g. 90 °c) start a stopwatch and allow it to
cool for a set amount of time (e.g. 10 minutes)
○ After this time, take a new temperature
measurement and record the change in
temperature
(The black beaker should have cooled by slightly
more than the shiny beaker, because it emitted
more thermal radiation)
 04
Consequences
of Energy
Transfer
 Conduction
● The main means of thermal energy transfer in solids
● When heated, atoms vibrate more, knocking into
each other and transferring energy from atom to
atom as a result
● Metals are excellent conductors; Non-metals are
poor; Liquids and gases are very poor
● If a question mentions metals, the answer will
probably have something to do with conduction
● Trapped air is a very good insulator of heat. Air is a
gas and so is a poor conductor. Trapping it prevents
it from circulating and forming a convection current
 Convection
“The means of thermal energy transfer in liquids and gases”

● Heat sources placed at

the bottom of things will
generally create
convection currents.
Likewise, cooling units
placed high up will cool
● When heated, a gas will ● If a question refers
any rising air, causing it
expand and become less to a liquid or gas
dense. This causes it to rise
to sink again
(that isn’t trapped)
(a convection current). then convection
Cooler (denser) gas falls, currents will
replacing the hot gas probably form
 Thermal Radiation
● The only way in which heat
can travel through a vacuum
● Thermal radiation is heat
transfer by infrared (part of
the electromagnetic
spectrum)
● If a question refers to the colour of
● Black objects are good
something (black, white or shiny)
at emitting and then the answer will probably have
absorbing thermal something to do with thermal
radiation
radiation; shiny objects ● If a piece of apparatus contains a
are poor at emitting and vacuum then radiation will be the
only way heat can travel through
absorbing it that part of the apparatus
Consequences Example Question
Explain the features of the solar panel that help it heat the water efficiently
Answer:

● The thermal radiation (infrared) is able to pass through the glass

sheet
● The black metal backing sheet absorbs the thermal radiation (sunlight)
● Being metal (an excellent conductor) it then conducts it into the
copper pipes
● The copper pipes (also metal) then conduct the heat into the water
● The insulated material reduces the conduction of heat through the
back of the panel, decreasing heat loss
● The glass also traps air which is a good insulator, preventing heat
loss due to conduction from the front of the panel and preventing
heat loss by convection (due to the air being trapped)
“ Energy is liberated matter,

“
matter is energy waiting to
happen
-Albert Einstein
THANK YOU