Particles and Energy Transfer

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How does heat transfer happen?
Heat is a type of energy called thermal energy.
Heat can be transferred (moved) by three main processes:
1. conduction
2. convection
3. radiation
Conduction and convection transfer heat through particles,
while heat transfer by radiation does not require particles.
During heat transfer, thermal energy always moves in the
same direction:

HOT COLD
Heat energy flows from a warmer area to a cooler area.

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Why do objects get hotter or colder?
Temperature is a measure of how hot an object is.

Heat transfer only takes place when

there is a temperature difference.

The heat energy flows from an area

of higher temperature to an area of
lower temperature.

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Heat transfer example
Why does an ice lolly melt on a warm tongue?

There is a temperature difference

between the tongue and the lolly, so
heat energy flows from the warm
tongue into the cold ice lolly.

This heat transfer means that the ice

lolly melts as it gets warmer, and the
warm part of the tongue touching it
gets cooler.

How might climate change cause the polar ice caps to melt?

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Does temperature affect heat transfer?

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What is conduction?
How are the particles arranged in a solid, a liquid and a gas?

solid liquid gas

Particles that are very close together can transfer heat energy
as they vibrate. This type of heat transfer is called conduction.
Conduction is the method of heat transfer in solids but
not liquids and gases. Why?
What type of solids are the best conductors?

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How do metals conduct heat?
Metals are good conductors of heat. The outer electrons of
metal atoms are not attached to any particular atom. They
are free to move between the atoms.
When a metal is heated, the free
electrons gain kinetic energy.
This means that the free electrons
move faster and transfer the
energy through the metal.
This makes heat transfer in
metals very efficient.
Insulators do not have free
electrons, and so they do not
conduct heat as well as metals.
heat
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Investigating conduction

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Investigating conduction in metals

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Good and bad conductors

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Factors affecting conduction
Many factors affect conduction.
Material: materials with free electrons or
a crystal structure aid conduction.
Cross-sectional area: much like extra
lanes on a motorway allow more cars, it is
easier for energy to pass along a conductor
with a large cross-sectional area.
Surface contact: smooth objects that are in full contact with
each other will transfer heat between them more easily than
objects that are rough or only in partial contact.
Temperature difference: a large temperature difference
between ends of a conductor causes a more rapid energy flow.

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What happens when a fluid is heated?
Liquids and gases can both flow and behave in similar ways,
so they are called fluids.
What happens to the particles in a fluid when it is heated?

less dense
heat fluid
The heated fluid particles gain energy, so they move about
more and spread out. The same number of particles now
take up more space, so the fluid has become less dense.

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What is convection?
Warmer regions of a fluid are
less dense than cooler regions
of the same fluid.

The warmer regions will rise

because they are less dense.

The cooler regions will sink

as they are more dense.

This is called convection.

The steady flow between the

warm and cool sections of a
fluid, such as air or water, is
called a convection current.

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How does convection in a liquid occur?

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How does convection in a gas occur?

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Why is convection important in fridges?
Why is the freezer compartment at the top of a fridge?
The freezer compartment is
at the top of a fridge because
cool air sinks.
The freezer cools the air at
the top and this cold air cools
the food on the way down.
It is warmer at the bottom
of the fridge.
This warmer air rises and so
a convection current is set
up inside the fridge, which
helps to keep the fridge cool.

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Conduction and convection summary

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Observing evaporation

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Evaporation

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Do all liquids evaporate?
Particles in different substances need different amounts of
kinetic energy for evaporation to occur. They obtain this by
taking in energy from their surroundings.

Water evaporates relatively quickly. Clothes dry on washing

lines, and puddles dry up before our eyes.

Some liquids do not appear to

experience evaporation at room
temperatures, such as cooking oils.

This is because their particles do not

gain kinetic energy as easily. However,
evaporation does still take place – just
at a much slower rate.

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Condensation
Condensation occurs when a gas is cooled sufficiently so
that it forms liquid droplets.
cold glass
We experience this most commonly
when water vapour condenses to
form water droplets on a surface.

The effect is most pronounced when

there is a large temperature difference warm,
between the gas and surface. moist air

The gas particles transfer their kinetic condensation

energy to the surface of the object,
and so change their state.

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Evaporation and condensation – true or false?

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Glossary

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Anagrams

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Which type of heat transfer?

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Multiple-choice quiz

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