TRANSFER OF THERMAL ENERGY

Thermal energy travels from one place to another through three methods which are conduction,
convection and radiation. In all the three cases, it travels from a region of high temperature to a
region of low temperature.
Methods of transfer of thermal energy
The three methods of heat transfer are:
 Conduction
 Convection
 Radiation
Conduction
It is the transfer of thermal energy through a matter by the vibration and collision of the particles
without the movement of matter itself. Conduction takes place in solids, liquids and gases.
Conduction in solids

How conduction occurs?

Heat is transferred from end A to end B:
In metals by vibration of atoms and collision of free electrons with atoms.
In non-metals by vibration of atoms only
Examples of good and poor conductors of thermal energy
Good conductors Poor conductors
metals Non-metals
Ionic compounds Pure water
graphite Wood, plastic, glass, etc

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Experiment to show conductivity of different materials
Set-up

Procedure
 Stick same number of balls to ends of different rods of the same size.
 Heat the other ends of the rods
Observation
After heating, different number of balls fell from or remains in different rods.
Conclusion
 The rod with many balls fell i.e. rod A (or with few balls remaining), e.g. copper, is the
best conductor of heat energy
 The rod with no balls fell i.e. rod D (or with many balls remaining) e.g. glass is bad
conductor of heat energy.
Experiment to show that water is poor conductor of thermal energy
Set-up

Procedure
 Put ice in the test tube then put gauze to prevent ice from floating water.
 Add water to the test tube
 Apply heat at the top of the test tube.

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Observation
The water at the top of the test tube boils while the water at the bottom remains cool and ice not
yet melted.
Conclusion
Water is a poor conductor of thermal energy.
Note
Solids are better conductors of heat because their particles are closer to each
Liquids are worse conductors of heat because their particles are slightly further apart.
Gases are worst conductors of heat energy because particles of a gas are further apart than in
liquids.
Application of good and bad conductors of thermal energy
Cooking utensils are made of good conductors of thermal energy for more conduction of thermal
energy from the source to the food.
Handles of cooking utensils are made of poor conductors (insulators) so that they do not become
too hot to handle.
Woolen and cotton materials contain trapped air, which is a poor conductor to form good
insulators. Woolen cloths conduct less heat from body to surrounding during winter
Cavity walls reduces conduction of heat from:
 the inside of house to the surrounding when cold.
 the surrounding to the inside of house when hot.
Convection
It is the transfer of thermal energy through a fluid (liquid or gas) by the movement of the heated
particles of the fluid.
Convection does not take place in solids because particles in a solid do not change their position.
How convection occurs?
 The fluid which is heated expands, become less dense and rises.
 The cooler and denser fluid descends to replace risen warmer fluid, which is then heated.
 This causes a circular movement of the fluid which is called the convectional current.

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Experiment to demonstrate convection in liquids
Set-up

Procedure
 Put potassium permanganate at bottom of flask
 Add water into flask
 Apply heat at bottom
Observation
 The purple colour rises with the heated water on one side and falls with the cold liquid on
the other side.
 This process will continue until all the water is coloured purple.
Conclusion
 Heated water expands, becomes less dense and rises.
 The cooler and denser water descends.
 This process will continue until all the liquid is heated.
Experiment to demonstrate convection in gases
Set-up

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Procedure
 Place a burning candle at bottom of a chimney of a convection box
 Place smoking cloth on the other chimney of a convection box
Observation
 The smoke which falls into the box through one chimney
 The smoke goes out through the other chimney where there is a burning candle.
Conclusion
 When air is heated by the candle expands, it becomes less dense and rises.
 The air from the other chimney is cold and denser, hence falls to replace risen warm air.

Radiation
It is the flow of heat energy from one place to another by means of electromagnetic waves.
It occurs through all three state of matter and also through a vacuum

Experiment to demonstrate good and poor absorbers of radiation

Set-up

Shiny surface Dull black surface

Wax

Cork A Cork B

Radiator

Procedure
 Placed a small radiator midway between two metal surfaces with a coin stuck on the back
of each surface with candle wax.
 Switch on the radiator
Observation
 After a few minutes the wax on the black surface melts and the coin fell

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  Some minutes later the wax on the shiny surface melts and the coin fell.
Conclusion
 Black or dull surfaces absorb more radiation than shinny surfaces i.e. Black or dull
surfaces are good absorbers of radiation while shiny surfaces are poor absorbers of
radiation.
Experiment to demonstrate good and poor emitters of radiation
Set-up

Dull black surface

Wax

Cork A Cork B

Leslie
cube
Shiny Dull black
surface surface

Procedure
 Put Leslie cube filled with hot water midway between two metal plates.
 Arrange the cube in such a way that one of its side painted dull black faces one metal
plate and its shiny side faces the other metal surface.
Observation
After sometime the cork B on the plate facing the black side falls off before cork A.
Conclusion
The black side emits more heat than the shiny side. This implies that dull black surfaces are good
emitters of radiation while shiny surfaces are poor emitters of radiation.
Note:
Dull/ black surfaces Shinny surfaces
good absorbers of radiation poor absorbers of radiation
poor reflectors of radiation good reflectors of radiation
good emitters of radiation poor emitters of radiation
good radiators poor radiators

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APPLICATIONS OF THERMAL TRANSFER
Thermo (vacuum) flask
The vacuum flask keeps hot fluids hot and cold fluids cold for a longer time.

How does it work?

 It has a vacuum which prevents heat loss or gain through convection and conduction.
(Radiation can occur through a vacuum).
 It has silvered walls (surfaces) to reduce heat loss or gain by radiation. Silvered walls
(surfaces) reflect heat back.
 Note: Silver surfaces are poor absorbers and/or emitters of heat (good reflectors)
 It has a cork or stopper to reduce heat loss or gain by convection and conduction.

Houses in hot regions

Houses in hot countries are painted white because white is a good reflector of heat or radiation
and this will keep inside of house relatively cool on a hot day.
Car cooling system
When a car engine is running, it becomes hot. His can cause overheating and knocking of the
engine.

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How is the engine cooled?
 Heat from the engine is conducted through the cylinders to the water.
 The water expands when heated, becomes less dense and rises through the top hose to the
radiator.
 The radiator which is painted black radiates (absorbs heat from water and emits it to the
surrounding) heat from the water.
 The fan blows air through the radiator to help cooling.
 The cooler and denser water enters the water jacket through the bottom hose.

Features of car cooling system

 Top hose for hot water flow to the radiator: since heated water expands, becomes less
dense and rise.
 Bottom hose cold water flow from the radiator: since cooled water contracts, becomes
more dense and sinks.
 Black painted radiator: for more heat emission since black surfaces are good emitters of
heat.
 Fan: to increase rate of cooling water in the radiator

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 Water heating system

Lagged
storage tank

Hot water to Hot water out

storage tank

Cold water in

Coiled pipe Cold water to the

solar panel
Solar panel

How the water heating system works

 Cold water enters the solar panel through the bottom pipe.
 The cold water passes through the coiled pipe.
 The back plate of the panel (is painted black) absorbs radiation from sun and heat the
coiled pipe.
 The heated water in the coiled pipe leaves the panel at the top to the storage tank.
Note:
 The metal pipe is coiled to increase the surface area for heat absorption.
 The back plate of the panel is painted black to absorb more heat since black surfaces are
good absorbers of heat.
The solar panel is covered with a glass to trap heat through the greenhouse effect.
The storage water tank is lagged (made up of fibre glass which is a poor conductor) to reduce heat
loss from the water through conduction.

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Refrigerator cooling system

How refrigerator cooling system works?

• Ferron liquid absorbs heat from food in the refrigerator
• Then Ferron liquid turns into vapor.
• Vapor is pumped through cooling pipe
• Heat is emitted from vapor to surrounding through cooling pipe
• Vapor turns back into liquid losing latent heat of vaporization.
Features of refrigerator cooling system
• Coiled metal pipe and cooling fins: increase surface area for more heat emission.
• Black painted coiled pipe and cooling fins: for more heat emission since black surfaces
are good emitters of heat.
• White painted or silvered body surface: to reflect heat back to the surrounding

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CONSEQUENCES OF THERMAL TRANSFER
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Natural Greenhouse effect: this traps heat between earth and atmosphere.

Reflected long wavelength

radiation from earth Short wavelength
radiation from sun
sun

Earth
atmosphere

How natural greenhouse works?

• Short wavelength and more penetrative radiation from the sun penetrate the atmosphere
and is absorbed by earth
• In turn the earth emits long wavelength and less penetrative radiation
• The long wavelength radiation is reflected back by atmosphere into earth.
Artificial Greenhouse effect: this traps heat inside the seedling’s shelter to keep seedlings
warm.

Radiation emitted by
seedlings and soil

Radiation reflected by
Radiation glass or plastic
from sun

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How artificial greenhouse works?
 Short wavelength and more penetrative radiation from the sun penetrate the glass
and is absorbed by seedlings and plants
 In turn the seedlings and soil emit long wavelength and less penetrative radiation
 The long wavelength radiation is reflected back by glass into shelter

Global warming
The normal carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere is 0.03%, but today this percentage has
been increased several times du`e to the burning of fossil fuels and other traditional fuels such as
fire wood. This has caused more radiation from the earth to be absorbed in the atmosphere. This
has resulted in the increase of the temperature of the Earth. The effect is called Global warming.
Dangers of global warming
Global warming is associated with the following effects:
Polar ice-cap melting causes widespread of floods.
Changes in climate cause storms, droughts and famines.
SEA BREEZES AND LAND BREEZES
Sea breeze
During a hot day, the land is warmer than the sea. Air above the land is heated and rises up; it is
then replaced by cooler air from the sea.

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Land breeze
During the night, the sea is warmer than the land because the land loses its heat much faster than
the sea. Air above the sea is warmer than that above the land so it rises up to be replaced by that
above the land.

Days and Nights in Deserts

During the day or summer deserts are very hot.
This is due to that deserts are mainly covered with sand (solids) which heats up quickly since
dark colored sand absorbs more heat
During night or winter deserts are very cold.
This is due to that deserts are mainly covered with sand (solids) which cools down quickly since
dark colored sand emits more heat
Reasons for heating up and cooling down quickly
• Solids (e.g. sand) have low specific heat capacity hence a greater temperature change
(heats up or cools down quickly).
• Sand is dark in color hence a good absorber or good emitter of radiation heats up or
cools down quickly.
• Reasons for heating up and cooling down slowly
• Liquids (e.g. sea water) have high specific heat capacity hence a smaller temperature
change (heats up or cools down slowly).
• Water is colorless hence a poor absorber or poor emitter of radiation hence heats up or
cools down slowly

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Consequences of methods of heat transfer
Cyclones
These are areas of low pressure in which warm air moves in spiral or circular manner.

land
How cyclones occurs?
• The sun heats the earth
• The heated area develop low pressure as heated air above earth expands become less
dense and rises.
• High pressure (colder) air descends to replace the risen hot air.
Typhoons
These occur where there is large amount of water i.e. on oceans or seas. They are stronger than
cyclones

sea
How typhoons occurs?
• The sun heats the sea
• The heated area develop low pressure as heated air above sea expands become less dense
and rises.
• High pressure (colder) air descends to replace the risen hot air.

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