Heat Transfer
 the movement of heat across the
border of the system due to a difference
in temperature between the system and
its surroundings
 Heat always moves from a warmer
place to a cooler place.
 Hot objects in a cooler room will cool to
room temperature.
 Cold objects in a warmer room will heat
up to room temperature.
Heat Transfer Methods
Heat transfers in three ways:
 Conduction
 Convection
 Radiation
CONDUCTION
 the process by which heat or electricity
is directly transmitted through a
substance when there is a difference of
temperature or of electrical potential
between adjoining regions, without
movement of the material.
 When you heat a metal strip at one
end, the heat travels to the other end.
 As you heat the metal, the particles
vibrate, these vibrations make the
adjacent particles vibrate, and so on
and so on, the vibrations are passed
along the metal and so is the heat.
Conduction Examples
 Ironing of clothes is an example of
conduction where the heat is
conducted from the iron to the
clothes.Heat is transferred from hands to
ice cube resulting in the melting of an
ice cube when held in hands.
 Heat conduction through the sand at
the beaches. This can be experienced
during summers. Sand is a good
conductor of heat.
Metals are different
 The outer electrons of metal atoms drift,
and are free to move.
 When the metal is heated, this ‘sea of
electrons’ gain kinetic energy and
transfer it throughout the metal.
 Insulators, such as wood and plastic, do
nothave this ‘sea of electrons’ which is
why they do not conduct heat as well
as metals.
Why does metal feel colder than wood, if
they are both at the same temperature?
 Metal is a conductor, wood is an
insulator. Metal conducts the heat
away from your hands. Wood does not
conduct the heat away from your
hands as well as the metal, so the wood
feels warmer than the metal.
CONVECTION
 the movement of fluid molecules from
higher temperature regions to lower
temperature regions.
 As the temperature of the liquid
increases, the liquid’s volume also has
to increase by the same factor and this
effect is known as displacement.
Convection Examples
 Boiling of water, that is molecules that
are denser move at the bottom while
the molecules which are less dense
move upwards resulting in the circular
motion of the molecules so that water
gets heated.
 Warm water around the equator moves
towards the poles while cooler water at
the poles moves towards the equator.
 Blood circulation in warm-blooded
animals takes place with the help of
convection, thereby regulating the
body temperature.
Fluid Movement
 Cooler, more dense, fluids sink through
warmer, less dense fluids.
 Warmer liquids and gases rise up.
 Cooler liquids and gases sink.
What happens to the particles in a liquid or
a gas when you heat them?
 The particles spread out and become
less dense.
Why does hot air rise and cold air sink?
 Cool air is more dense than warm air, so
the cool air ‘falls through’ the warm air.
Why are boilers placed beneath hot water conduction or by convection, only
tanks in people’s homes? through radiation.
 Hot water rises. So when the boiler heats
the water, and the hot water rises, the  Radiation does not travel in straight lines
water tank is filled with hot water  Radiation can travel through a vacuum.
 Radiation requires particles to travel.
Why is it windy on the seaside?  Radiation does not travel at the speed
of light.

Emission Experiment
 Four containers were filled with warm
water. Which container would have
the warmest water after ten minutes?

Cold air sinks

The shiny metal container would be the

warmest after ten minutes because its shiny
surface reflects heat radiation back into the
container so less is lost. The dull black
container would be the coolest because it
is the best at emitting heat radiation.

Absorption Experiment
 Four containers were equidistant from a
heater. Which container would have
the warmest water after ten minutes?

RADIATION

 the emission or transmission of energy in

the form of waves or particles through
space or a material medium
 radiant heat is present in some or other
The dull black container would be the
form in our daily lives. Thermal radiations
warmest after ten minutes because its shiny
are referred to as radiant heat. Thermal
surface absorbs heat radiation back into
radiation is generated by the emission
the container so less is lost. The shiny metal
of electromagnetic waves.
container would be the coolest because it
 Radiation takes place through a
is the best at absorbing heat radiation.
vacuum or transparent medium which
can be either solid or liquid. Thermal
radiation is the result of the random
Why are houses painted white in hot
motion of molecules in matter. The
countries?
movement of charged electrons and
 White reflects heat radiation and keeps
protons is responsible for the emission of
the house cooler
electromagnetic radiation.
Why are shiny foil blankets wrapped around
How does heat energy get from the Sun to
marathon runners at the end of a race?
the Earth?
 The shiny metal reflects the heat
 There are no particles between the Sun
radiation from the runner back in, this
and the Earth so it CANNOT travel by
stops the runner getting cold.