Natural Sciences

Task 14

Grade: 7

Presented By:
Mrs Young
Pitlochry Primary School Educator
Conduction
absorption

Heat Energy Radiation

Convection refection
 Key concepts
Conduction – heat transferred within or between solid object
that are in direct contact with each other.
Convection – liquids and gases are heated by convection
Radiation – radiation can transfer heat energy even if there
is no solid object, liquid or gas to carry the energy.
Heat – is the transfer of thermal energy from a system to its
surroundings or from one object to another as a result
of a difference in temperature. Heat is measured in
joules(J). This is because heat is a transfer of energy.
Temperature – is the measure of how hot or cold a substance feels and
it is measured in degrees Celsius. Temperature is a
measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in
an object or system. We use a thermometer to measure the
temperature of an object or substance.
 Heat energy (thermal energy)

Heating an object is an example of energy transfer. Heat energy is transferred

from the hotter part of something to the cooler part. The hotter part then
gets cooler and the cooler parts get warmer.
To measure the effect of heat transfer on a substance, we find its
temperature.
The higher the temperature the more heat energy it contains. Temperature is
measured in degrees centigrade ( °C)
When heat energy is transferred from one object to another, this transfer will
continue until both bodies are the same temperature.
Heat energy is transferred in three ways: conduction, convection and
radiation.
 Conduction

Conduction is the transfer of energy from the hot part

of a solid to a cooler part.
The heat energy moves through the solid object. It
can also move from one solid object to another solid
object as long as they are physically in contact.

Heat from a hot cup of coffee is transferred to your

hands because the cup is in contact with the hot
coffee and the cup is in direct contact with your hands.
The heat energy is being conducted through the solid
material of the cup to your hands.
 Demonstration 1 Conduction
Aim: To show how heat is conducted in a simple system.
Hypothesis:
Equipment: teaspoon
mug
boiling water
stopwatch
Method: Pour the boiling water I to the mug.
Place the teaspoon into the boiling water
Start the stop watch
Stop the stopwatch when the tip of the spoon is heated up.
Record your result:
Conclusion:
 Demonstration 2: Conduction
Watch this demonstration carefully and then answer the questions in your activity booklet

This is an illustration of what happens to the

molecules when a solid is heated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNZi12OV9Xc

Write a summary of what you saw in the video.

Some substances conduct heat more quickly than others. We call these
good conductors of heat.

Metals are often good conductors of heat. Some metals, such as copper,
conduct heat better than others. We use materials that are good
conductors to make cooking pots as they will allow heat to transfer
quickly to the food.

Other materials such as wood and plastic conduct heat very slowly or
not at all. This makes them useful when we wat to stop heat from
spreading. We call these materials insulators.
 Demonstration 3 Good conductors

Demonstration 3 Good conductors

Aim: Investigate which materials are the best conductors of heat.
In this experiment we will be placing an ice cube on a wooden block, a
polystyrene cup, a plastic cup, paper cup and a tin can and observing
which ice cube melts first.
 Convection
Convection is the way that heat transfer happens in a liquid or a gas. The
substance of the liquid or gas moves to carry the heat. This happens because of
the movement of particles in a fluid.

Liquids and gases transfer hat mainly by convection. Liquids and gases become
lighter when they are heated. This causes the heated part to rise. Cooler liquids
or gases come in from the side to take its place. The heated substance cools as it
rises away from the heat source. When is cools it sinks back down again. This
leads to a circulation of the substance that is called the convection current.

During convection, the substance moves, whereas when heat is transferred by

conduction the substance does not move.
 Examples of convection
An eagle that uses updrafts of warm air. It glides
higher and higher using very little movement of its
wings. It is using convection currents.

Heaters are best placed on the floor because warm

air moves upwards. Air conditioners are best placed
near the ceiling because cold moves downward.
 Demonstration 4 Convection currents
Convection currents in water
 Summary
• Potential energy is energy which is stored.
• Kinetic energy is energy which an object has because it is moving.
• Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be transferred from
one part of a system to another.
• Energy is transferred within systems. The input energy is transferred
through the system and energy is conserved.
• There are various energy systems, such as:
Ø Mechanical systems
Ø Thermal systems
Ø Electrical systems
Ø Biological systems
• Energy is also transferred between different systems.
• Heat is energy that is transferred from a hotter to a cooler part.
• Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold a substance is.
• Heat (energy transfer) occurs in 3 ways; conduction, convection and
radiation.
• During conduction, the objects must be touching each other for
energy transfer to take place.
• Some materials such as metals conduct heat well.
• Some materials, such as plastics and wood, slow down or prevent
conduction. They are called insulators.
• Convection is the transfer of energy within liquids or gases.
• Convection current refers to the movement of a liquid or gas during
energy transfer. The liquid or gas moves upwards from the heat
source (as it expands) and then downward as the liquid or gas cools.
References
• Top Class Natural Sciences Grade 7, P. Ayerst, D. Smith, M. Hill, Shuter
and Shooter, 2013
• Exam Fever Natural Sciences Grade 7, G. Ramlall, M. Maipath, T. Pillay,
Exam Fever, 2020
• Explore a world without boundaries Grade 7. Siyavula, Department of
basic Education
https://www.pitlochryps.co.za/