Heat and Thermal Energy – Conduction

#heat #thermalenergy #ngscience #conduction https://ngscience.com Conduction happens when particles transfer energy by bumping into each other. In something hot, the particles are moving quickly. In something cold, the particles are moving more slowly. When the two touch, the fast-moving particles in the hotter object collide with the slower particles in the cooler object. During each collision, the faster particles lose a little energy, and the slower particles gain a little energy. This means the hotter object starts to cool down, while the cooler object warms up. This continues to occur until both objects reach the same temperature. At that point, the particles in each object are moving at the same average speed, so no more net energy is transferred. A perfect example is a metal spoon placed in a glass of hot water. First, heat moves from the hot water into the cooler spoon because the fast-moving water particles collide with the slower-moving particles in the spoon. This causes the spoon to heat up and the water to slowly cool down. But another form of conduction is happening at the same time. Heat also travels along the spoon itself. The warmer particles at the bottom of the spoon bump into the particles next to them, passing on some of their energy. Those particles then bump into the next ones, and it keeps going—like a chain reaction—moving from the hotter end toward the cooler end. This continues until the energy is spread out evenly and the entire spoon reaches the same temperature. Heat through conduction is happening around us, all the time... Like a pot heating up on a stove. Heat travels from the hot burner, into the metal pot, and then into the food inside. Or your body warming up when you hold a hot water bottle. Heat is conducted from the hotter water bottle, into your cooler skin and tissues. Or ice melting when you hold it. Heat moves from your warm hand, into the colder ice, causing it to melt. But conduction isn’t the only way heat can move. Convection carries heat through moving fluids like air and water, and radiation transfers heat through invisible waves — even across empty space. Check out the related videos to learn more.