Methods of Heat Transfer

CONDUCTION
 CONDUCTION
A transfer of heat from the hot part of a material to its colder part
(without the movement of material as a whole) is called conduction.

Examples of transfer of heat by conduction from our everyday life

(1)A cold metal spoon dipped in a hot cup of tea gets heated by
conduction.

(2) A frying pan kept on a gas stove transfers the heat of gas burner
through its metal bottom by the process of conduction.

Those materials which allow heat to pass through them easily are
called good conductors of heat. All the metals are good conductors of
heat. 

For example: The metals such as silver, copper, aluminium, iron and

mercury are all good conductors of heat.

Silver metal is the best conductor of heat. 

CONDUCTION
 CONDUCTION
Uses of good conductors and poor conductors of heat

Good conductors are used to carry heat quickly where it is wanted. Insulators are
used to stop heat from going where it is not wanted.

• The cooking utensils are made of metals (or metal alloys).

• The cooking utensils are provided with handles made of plastic (or

wood).

• A frying pan is made of aluminium metal or stainless steel.

 
• Some stainless steel frying pans are provided with copper bottoms. 

• Mercury metal is used in making thermometers because it is a good

conductor of heat.

• An electric iron is also provided with a plastic handle 

CONVECTION
CONVECTION
 CONVECTION
In convection, the particles of a liquid (or gas) actually move from the hotter
regions to the colder regions to transfer heat.

The transfer of heat by convection cannot take place in solids because the particles
in the solids are fixed at a place and hence cannot move about freely.

When a beaker containing water is kept over a burner, water at the bottom of
beaker (near the flame) gets heated, expands and becomes lighter. This hot water
(being lighter) rises upwards and carries heat along with it. The cold water from
above (being denser) sinks downwards to take the place of hot rising water. This
cold water then gets heated by the burner and also rises upwards carrying its heat
upwards. And more cold water sinks
downwards. This process of hot water rising upwards and cold water sinking
downwards takes place again and again due to which the whole water in the beaker
gets heated uniformly.
The circulatory movements of water in the beaker in which hot water rises and cold
water sinks again and again, are called convection currents.
 CONVECTION
Air is a very poor conductor of heat. It transfers heat from its hotter parts
to colder parts by the process of convection (by moving itself).

In order to heat air in a room during winter, we keep the heater on the
floor (usually in a corner of the room).

Blowing of Sea-Breeze and Land-Breeze

RADIATION
 RADIATION
Radiation is the transfer of heat energy from a hot body to a cold body by means of
heat rays, without any material medium between them.

(1) When we stand next to a burning fire, we can feel the heat of the fire falling on
our face. The heat is transferred from the fire to our face by the process of
radiation.

(2) When we sit in front of a room-heater, we get heat directly by the process of
radiation.

The objects having dark colours absorb more heat radiations than the
objects having light colours.
RADIATION