Conduction

• Conduction refers to the transfer of heat energy through a material, without the material itself moving.
• It occurs mainly in solids since particles in these are tightly packed together.
• The process begins when the particles in a hot area of a material vibrate rapidly.
• These fast vibrations spread to neighbouring particles, increasing their kinetic energy (making them move faster).
• This domino effect continues throughout the material, enabling heat to be conducted from the hot end of the material to the cooler end.
• Metals are good conductors of heat, as they have free electrons which can move about within the metal and transfer energy quickly.
• Conversely, materials such as wood or plastic are poor conductors (also known as insulators) because they do not have these free electrons, so energy transfer is slower.
• If insulating materials are used in situations where you want to limit the amount of heat transferred (like in home insulation), then energy transfer due to conduction is reduced, leading to energy conservation.
• Understanding how conduction works can help with designing and using devices and infrastructure to make better use of energy, for example, deciding what materials to use in cookware, building construction, or clothing.
• A real-world application of conduction is a spoon heating up in a hot drink; the heat from the liquid makes the particles in the spoon vibrate more quickly, which then spread to other particles in the spoon and make it hot to touch.