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Conduction of Heat (Edexcel GCSE Physics: Combined Science)
Revision Note
Factors Affecting Conduction
- Thermal conduction is the process where energy is transferred by vibrating particles in a substance
- The vibrating particles transfer energy from their kinetic store to the kinetic store of neighbouring particles
- The direction of energy transfer is always from hot to cold
The higher the thermal conductivity of a material, the higher the rate of energy transfer by conduction across the material
- Materials with high thermal conductivity heat up faster than materials with low thermal conductivity
Materials with high and low thermal conductivity
- Objects will continue to lose heat until they reach thermal equilibrium (equal temperature) with their surroundings
- For example, a mug of hot coffee will cool down until it reaches room temperature
- Conduction is the main method of energy transfer by heating in solids
- Metals are extremely good thermal conductors
- Non-metals are poor thermal conductors whilst liquids and gases are extremely poor
- Poor conductors are called insulators
Energy is transferred by heating from the hotter foot to the cooler tiles by conduction
- Factors affecting thermal conduction are:
- The thickness of the material
- The thermal conductivity of the material
- The temperature difference between two areas of the material (for example the internal and external surfaces of a wall)
- The rate of energy transfer is reduced by:
- Increasing the thickness of the material
- Decreasing the thermal conductivity of the material
- Decreasing the temperature difference
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