Three Heat Transfer Methods

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Introduction
Conduction, convection, and radiation are all types of heat transfer in which heat is transferred from a system to its surroundings. As humans, we are in the presence of, and manipulate these heat transfers all the time. Heat transfer is very important to our every day lives as we try to live in a world where the temperature outside is not comfortable and we want our food cooked. Some people go out of their way to get more radiation to get a tan, or use convection while siting in a sauna. In this paper, I will discuss the physics behind these three heat transfer methods, their equations, and some everyday examples.
Conduction
Conduction is an energy transfer process that is associated with temperature difference. As an object …show more content…

There are two types of convection, natural and forced. In natural convection, the temperature difference results in a difference in density. The difference in density is what drives convection and convection transfers energy by actually moving the substance. When a heat source heats a gas or a liquid, it causes it to become less dense and the kinetic motion of the particles is greater. This less dense area will rise, cool off, and then sink back down to become heated again. Convection is a cycle; this cycle can be very small to very large. Forced convection does not occur naturally but happens when the substance is forced to move by a fan or pump (Serway and Vuille, …show more content…

The Earth is not near enough for heat to be gained through conduction or convection as well as there is no medium for heat to travel through either, but Earth still receives heat from the Sun. This is because of the massive amount of heat radiating out from the Sun. The Earth absorbs this radiation and re-radiates some back out. One way to manipulate the heat you feel from the Sun on your body is to wear either dark or light clothing. On a summer day, you would want to wear lighter colors as they reflect more radiation, while on a winter day, a black color will help you absorb the heat to make you feel warmer. Another example of radiation is sitting by a fire. Earlier we talked about convection, but that was only when the hand was over the fire. When you are sitting close to the fire but are not over it, the heat you are feeling is from

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