Convection
Exploring Heat Transfer in Fluids
Convection
Convection is defined as the transfer of heat energy from one place
to another by the physical movement of a medium.
The medium is fluid.
How does Convection work?
• Warmer parts of the water rise because they are less dense; cooler
parts sink because they are denser.
• The continuous motion of the hot water rising and the cold water
sinking sets up the convection currents in the water.
Application of convection
Heater
It is installed close to the floor of a room.
When cold air sinks, it is warmed by the weather by the heater.
The heated air becomes less dense and rises.
This creates convection currents in the room, effectively heating it up.
Application of Convection
Sea breeze
During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea. As the result, the air above
the land is warmer than the air above the sea, so it rises.
The cooler and denser air from the sea flows in to replace the rising hot air. The
movement of air from the sea to the land is called a sea breeze.
Land breeze
During the night, the sea loses heat much slower than the land. As the result, the
air above the sea is warmer than the air above the land, so it rises.
The cooler and denser air from the land flows towards the sea to replace the rising
hot air. The movement of air from the land to the sea is called a land breeze.
