Simple Consequences of Energy Transfer
Conduction
- The main means of thermal energy transfer in solids
- When heated, atoms vibrate more, knocking into each other and transferring energy from atom to atom as a result
Conduction in Solids
Energy from the kinetic store of a vibrating particle is transferred to the kinetic store of a neighbouring particle. In this way, energy is transferred throughout the solid.
- Metals are especially good at conducting heat as the delocalised electrons can collide with the atoms, helping to transfer the vibrations through the material and hence transfer heat better
Delocalised Electrons in a Metal
Delocalised electrons in metals speed up thermal conduction
- If a question mentions metals, the answer will probably have something to do with conduction
- Trapped air is a very good insulator. Air is a gas and so is a poor conductor. Trapping air prevents it from circulating and forming a convection current
Hot Coffee Heating a Hand by Conduction
Thermal energy is transferred from the hot coffee to the mug and to the cold hands
- Other common examples of conduction are:
- Heating a pan on a hob
- Heating water in a kettle
- A lizard warming its belly on a hot rock
Convection
- The means of thermal energy transfer in liquids and gases
- Convection cannot occur in solids because the in solids the particles are not free to move
- When a fluid (a liquid or a gas) is heated:
- The molecules push each other apart, making the fluid expand
- This makes the hot fluid less dense than the surroundings
- The hot fluid rises, and the cooler (surrounding) fluid moves in to take its place
- Eventually, the hot fluid cools, contracts and sinks back down again
- The resulting motion is called a convection current
Convection Current
A convection current caused by heating from the fire
- Heat sources placed at the bottom of things will generally create convection currents. Likewise, cooling units placed high up will cool any rising air, causing it to sink again
Coffee Heats Air through Convection
Thermal energy is transferred from the hot coffee to the air by convection currents rising from the surface
- Other common examples of convection are:
- A radiator heating a room
- Air conditioning cooling a room
- Ice cubes cooling a drink
- A hot air balloon
Examiner Tip
If a question is about a metal, then make sure you talk about conduction. If a question refers to a liquid or gas (that isn't trapped) then make sure you talk about convection.
Thermal Radiation
- The only means of thermal energy transfer that does not require a medium
- The temperature of a body can be regulated by balancing how much incoming radiation is absorbed and emitted (or reflected)
- If an object starts to absorb radiation at a higher rate than it radiates it, then the object will heat up
- Likewise, if it loses radiation at a greater rate than it absorbs it, then the object will cool down
- This is how an emergency blanket works, to keep a trauma victim warm:
- Rescue teams use light-coloured, shiny emergency blankets to keep accident survivors warm
- A light, shiny outer surface emits a lot less radiation than a dark, matt (non-glossy) surface
- This keeps the patient warm, as less infrared radiation is emitted than if an ordinary blanket had been used
Reflective Blanket Being Used to Keep a Patient Warm
The reflective surface of an emergency blanket reflects the infrared radiation emitted by the body back towards the patient, helping to keep them warm
- Other common examples of thermal radiation are:
- Heating from sunlight
- Using an infrared thermometer to measure temperature
- Using a thermal imaging camera
- Using night vision