THERMAL ENERGY TRANSFER
OBJECTIVES:
• Describe experiment to demonstrate properties of good thermal and
bad thermal conductors
• Describe thermal conduction in all solids
• Explain convection in liquids and gases
• Know that thermal radiation is infrared radiation
• Describe the effect of surface colour and texture on the emission,
absorption and reflection of infrared radiation
Thermal exchange
Conduction Convection Radiation
CONDUCTION
• Thermal energy transfers from a hotter place to a colder place, that is, from a
higher temperature to a lower temperature.
• Thermal energy requires a temperature difference if it is to be transferred.
• Thermal conduction is the transfer of thermal energy by the vibration of
molecules
• Thermal conductor is a substance that conducts thermal energy
• Thermal insulator is a substance that conduct very little thermal energy
Thermal conduction
Conductors and insulators
Metals are the best
thermal conductors.
Poor
They feel cold to
the touch as heat is
conductors
quickly conducted are called
away from your
hand. insulators.
Non-metals tend to Liquids are poor
be poor conductors. conductors, and
A polystyrene tile gases are the worst
feels warm to the of all. Many
touch because it insulators have tiny
stops your hand pockets of trapped
from losing thermal air.
energy.
HOW THERMAL ENERGY IS CONDUCTED ALONG A
METAL BAR
• Use small blobs of petroleum jelly to attach paper clips along the copper rod
• Secure the copper rod in the clamp and heat the other end
• Watch carefully what happens to all the clips
Thermal conduction
Comparing conductors
Brass
Conclusion:
Copper is the best conductor
of thermal energy, steel is
the worst.
Steel HEAT Aluminium
Material Time for pin Drawing pin held
to fall (secs) on with vaseline.
Aluminium 125
copper
Brass 189
Copper 73
Steel 340
WHICH METAL IS THE BEST CONDUCTOR OF
HEAT?
• Use small blobs of petroleum jelly to attach paper clips to the end of each metal
rod
• Place the rods on the tripod and heat the ends
• Use a table to record the time taken for each paper clip to fall
IS WATER A GOOD CONDUCTOR OF HEAT?
WHAT MATERIALS MAKE GOOD INSULATORS
• Wrap three beakers in different insulating materials. Leave the fourth beaker
without insulation
• Boil water in a kettle and carefully pour equal amounts of water into each of the
beakers
• Measure the temperature of the water in each beaker every minute for ten
minutes
• Design a table and record your results
EXPLAINING CONDUCTION IN METALS AND NON -
METALS
• Both metals and non – metals conduct thermal energy
• Metals are generally much better conductors of heat than non – metals
• Non – metals such as glass rod, ice, plastic etc are poor conductors of heat
• As one end of non – metal is heated , the atoms start to vibrate much more
than they are at the cold end. As the atoms vibrate, they collide with their
neighbours. The collisions gradually transfer energy from the atoms at the hot
end to those at the cold end.
• Metals are good conductors for another reason. Many of the electrons in
metallic conductors are free to move. As the metal get heated, the electrons
carry the thermal energy and move through the metal. Thermal energy is
therefore transferred rapidly in metal making metals good conductors of heat
Convection
Convection involves the actual [Link]
movement of particles to carry
thermal energy. Liquids and gases are
poor conductors of heat, but because
their particles are free to move from
place to place so they can transfer
thermal energy by convection.
Can we see
convection The water above the heat source becomes
in a liquid? warmer, expands, and rises as it becomes less
dense.
The cooler, more dense water sinks to the
bottom of the beaker. It is then heated.
This circulation of warm and cold water sets
up a circulating stream, called a convection
current.
EXPLAINING CONVECTION
• Convection results from the expansion of a fluid when it is heated
• Expansion means an increase in volume while the mass stays constant. This
means density decreases during expansion
• A less dense material is lighter and so is pushed upwards by the surrounding
denser material
CONVECTION IN A LIQUID
• Fill three – quarters of a beaker with water
• When the water is settled, use tweezers to place two or three small crystals of
potassium manganate (VII) on the button of the beaker, at one side
• Use a Bunsen burner to heat the water gently, just below the crystals
• Observe what happens to the colour of potassium manganate (VII) as it moves.
This shows how the water is flowing
CONVECTION IN AIR
• Cut a spiral from thin card
• Attach a thin thread to the centre of the spiral
• Hold the thread above a heat source and observe how it moves
LAND AND SEA BREEZE
During daytime,
as the Sun
shines, land
heats up more
quickly than the
sea. This results
in air being
warmed and
rising. This
warmer air is
replaced by
cooler air coming
in from the sea.
The reverse happens during nighttime. The sea remains warmer than
the land, which cools down more quickly. Above the sea the warm air
rises, and it is replaced by cooler air coming in from the land.
Convection
Convection in the home
1. As the convector
heater gets warmer,
it heats air
immediately above
it. 2
2. The warm air rises,
carrying thermal
energy all around
the room. 1 3
3. As the air cools, so
it falls towards the
floor before being
heated again.
[Link]
Convection
Convection in the home
[Link]
In the refrigerator, the cool air sinks below the freezer
compartment. This sets up a circulating current of air which
cools all food in the refrigerator.
QUESTIONS
• An invertor makes an electric kettle with the heating element at the top. Explain
why it will not work?
• Explain why convection does not happen in solids
Radiation
[Link]
Thermal radiation includes the
invisible infrared waves as well as
visible light.
All objects
give out
some
thermal
(heat)
radiation.
Energy travels to us
Warm objects give out infrared
from the Sun in the
radiation. As objects become hotter,
form of
so they begin to give out shorter
electromagnetic
wavelengths such as light. This is
radiation. These waves
why hot objects, such as grills, glow
can travel through the
as they continue to heat up.
vacuum of space.
SUMMARY OF INFRARED
• It is produced by warm or hot objects
• It is a from electromagnetic radiation
• It travels through empty space and through air in the form of waves
• Travels in a straight line
• Warms the object that absorbs it
• It is invisible to the eye
• Can be detected by nerve cells in the skin
Radiation
Emitters and absorbers
Take in
Give out thermal
thermal radiation
radiation Good emitters of
heat energy are also
good absorbers
Emitters best worst
Matt Matt
White Silver
black black
Reflectors worst best In hot, sunny countries,
houses are often painted
Absorbers best worst white to reflect heat and keep
them cool.
GOOD ABSORBERS, GOOD EMITTERS
• Shiny or white surfaces are the best reflectors but the worst
absorbers
• Matt black surfaces are the best absorbers but the worst reflectors
• Matt black surfaces are the best emitters
• In hot, sunny countries, houses are often painted white to
reflect heat and keep them cool.
Radiation
Emitters and absorbers
Leslie’s cube Metal cube filled with
very hot water
Thermal radiation
Black face detector
Equal
distance
Meter
Silver face
White face
The thermal radiation detector
compares the amount of heat
energy emitted from the
different faces.
Radiation
Emitters and absorbers
Thermometer
Thermometers are attached
to the rear of metal plates
which are placed at equal
distances from the radiant
heater. Thermal energy
from the radiant heater is
absorbed by the two plates,
and the thermometers help
us to assess which colour is
Matt
the best absorber.
black
surface
Silver
Radiant surface
heater
FACTORS AFFECTING INFRARED RADIATION
• All objects emit radiation and absorb radiation from their surroundings.
• The hotter an object is, the more radiation it emits each second.
• Any object hotter than its surroundings radiates more energy per second
than it absorbs and so will cool down
• An object which is cooler than its surroundings absorb more energy per
second than it radiates until it reaches the temperature of its surroundings
• An object with temperature that remains constant absorbs thermal energy
at the same rate as it emits thermal energy
• An object with large surface area emits thermal energy faster
WHICH SURFACE RADIATES BETTER, BLACK OR
SHINY
• Set up the experiment as shown below
• Fill the two cans with equal volumes of hot water
• Use thermometers to measure the temperature of the water in each for every
minute for ten minutes
WHICH SURFACE ABSORBS THERMAL ENERGY
BETTER, BLACK OR SILVER
• Set up the experiment as shown below
• Fill the cans with equal volumes of cold water
• Place the cans at equal distance from the Bunsen burner or electric heater
• Use thermometers to measure the temperature in each can every minute in ten
minutes
Radiation
Thermal Radiation and the
Greenhouse Effect. In a greenhouse the Sun’s
thermal energy passes
through the glass panels,
warms the ground inside and
heats the air, but the hot air
then becomes trapped.
Solar panels use the Sun’s
thermal radiation to warm up
water for the house. A
blackened layer behind the
pipes absorbs the radiant
energy, heating the water in
the pipes. [Link]
1. Plastic cap (stopper)
reduces conduction and
convection.
However, additional carbon dioxide 2. Vacuum in the gap reduces
from the combustion of fuels may be conduction and convection.
adding to this effect and causing 3. Walls with silvery surfaces
global warming. reduce thermal radiation.
[Link]
CONSEQUENCES OF THERMAL ENERGY TRANSFER
KEEPING COOL
• Vacuum flasks are used to keep hot drinks hot.
• They can also be used to keep cold drinks cold.
• Giant vacuum flasks are used to store liquid nitrogen and helium at very low
temperatures, ready for use in such applications as body scanners in hospitals.
• They also have medical uses, such as for storing frozen embryos for IVF treatment.
• Figure 11.32 shows the construction of a vacuum flask.
• Glass is generally used, because glass is a good insulator. However, some flasks are
made of steel for added strength.
• Air is removed from the gap between the double walls, creating a vacuum. This
reduces losses by conduction and convection because both of them need a material
to travel through.
• The silver coating on the glass reduces losses by radiation by reflecting any infrared
radiation.
• The stopper is made of plastic and it prevents losses by convection and evaporation.
CAR ENGINE
• A car engine burns fuel and so gets very hot. The cooling system (Figure 11.34a)
transfers some of this thermal energy to the surroundings so the engine does not
overheat.
• This system uses many of the things you have learnt:
• Specific heat capacity: water flows around the block to absorb thermal energy.
Water is a good choice as it has a very high specific heat capacity.
• Convection: as the water is heated, a convection current flows in the direction
shown by the arrows. The pump is used to speed up this flow.
• Conduction: the radiator has metal fins (Figure 11.34b) so the thermal energy is
conducted to all parts of the radiator.
• Radiation: the fins have a large surface area and are black to increase the rate of
thermal energy radiation.
