Heat
Transfer
and how it
Works
Science project Made by
Ahmad siam, Eyad Faris, and Akhmet Naurbiev
Heat Transfer
Heat transfer is the transfer of heat energy between certain
substances or materials (thermal energy) . Though it can happen
with many different ones, heat transfer can’t exactly occur in
every material. The reason behind this is because of the atomic
structure within. Let’s say we take a wooden spoon and a metal
spoon. You would say that the metal spoon would transfer heat
better than wood, and that would be correct! The atoms are
much closer together in metals than in wood. So, we can
conclude that metal can conduct heat better than wood.
How heat transfers
Conduction : Heat moves through
direct contact. For example, if you
touch a hot stove, heat travels
from the stove to your hand.
Convection : Heat moves through
fluids (liquids and gases) as warmer
parts rise and cooler parts sink.
Think of how hot air rises from a
heater.
Radiation : Heat moves through
empty space in the form of energy
waves. The warmth you feel from the
sun is a good example.
Conduction
Conduction in heat transfer is the process through which heat energy
moves through a material without any movement of the material
itself. It occurs at the molecular level, where faster-moving,
high-energy particles collide with slower-moving, lower-energy
particles, transferring kinetic energy from the hotter region to the
cooler region. This process is common in solids, particularly metals, as
they have free electrons that can transfer energy quickly. In
non-metals, conduction happens more slowly, as it relies on the
vibration of atoms in the lattice. Conduction is governed by the
thermal conductivity of the material, with materials like copper and
aluminum being excellent conductors of heat.
Convection and Radiation
Convection is when heated parts of a liquid or gas rise higher than the cooler parts of a
liquid or gas. It’s evident under the tectonic plates in the Earth’s crust. This is a reason
why tectonic plates more around. Radiation is when heat energy travels through empty
space or any surface and gets absorbed by the objects it comes in contact with. In this
case, the sun emits radiation in the form of heat energy to warm up the planet.
Radiation is also observed when you take a magnifying glass and place it on a piece of
paper on a sunny day, which means the outcome of this experiment would be that the
paper would burn.
Science project Made by
Ahmad siam, Eyad Faris, and Akhmet Naurbiev
Thank you for
listening!
