HEAT TRANSFER/ TRANSFER OF THERMAL ENERGY Poor conductors of heat are mostly non-metals (e.g.
ors of heat are mostly non-metals (e.g., air, wood, glass, water,
etc)
Heat energy is always transferred from place at a high temperature to place
at a lower temperature. There are three common methods or ways by which i) The handles of good conductors’ appliances
heat can be transferred, conduction, convection, and radiation. ii) Insulate water pipes, hot water cylinders, oven, refrigerators.
iii) Used in house roof insulation and cavity wall insulation to
CONDUCTION - This is flow of heat through a substance from places of higher prevent or reduce the rate of heat flow in our house.
temperature to those of lower temperature without any movement of the iv) Air trapped between two windowpanes is used in double glazing
substance (matter) as a whole. It is a main method of heat transfer in solids insulation method in our homes.
and heat can be conducted in all directions.
Exercise:
MOLECULAR EXPLANATION OF CONDUCTION IN A SOLID 1. Give two each example of bad and good conductors of heat.
2. Explain why conduction can not take place in vacuum?
3. In terms of electrons, explain why conduction is able to take place I
metals than in insulators?
4. To demonstrate that different metals conduct heat at different rates,
the following experiment was conducted.
When one end of a metal rod is heated, the particles gain kinetic energy and
start to vibrate faster at their fixed position, and they collide with the
neighbours hence pass on some of their energy during those collisions. The
neighbours will also begin to vibrate faster and will in turn transmit the
energy to the surrounding particles. The chain process continues until all the
particles are affected and the whole substance is heated even the farthest
parts.
i. State why length and diameter of all the metal rods should be
The free electrons also help in the energy transfer since they can move from the same?
hot spot to cold spot. ii. State other three factors to be considered when performing this
experiment?
APPLICATIONS OF CONDUCTION (USES OF GOOD AND BAD CONDUCTORS) iii. Which pin fall first and why?
Good conductors of heat are mostly metals.
5. To show that liquids are poor conductors of heat.
i) Bases of cooking utensils (kettles, saucepans, pots, etc)
ii) Base of laundry irons
iii) Dehorning irons, etc.
To show convection in air
i. What is function of the metal gauze?
The arrows on the diagram show the direction followed by the smoke.
ii. When heat is applied as shown, water at the top boils and
bottom water remain cold and ice didn’t melt. Explain why it is Explanation: The air around the candle flame becomes hot and expands. It
like that? becomes less dense and rises. Cool, denser air moves over to the candle to
take the place of the air that has risen up. This causes cool air from outside to
CONVECTION - It is the transfer of heat through fluids (liquids and gases) by
enter the box carrying the smoke with it.
the upward movement of warmer, less dense fluid. That means medium as
whole can move from point a to point b. APPLICATION OF CONVECTION
When a fluid is heated, it becomes less dense hence rises and is then a. Water heating system (geyser)
replaced by colder dense fluid which sinks. That fluid will be heated too and b. The car cooling system
in turn rises upwards. These circulating parts of the fluid are called c. Radiator or heater to warm up a house.
convection currents.
TO DEMONSTRATE CONVECTION IN LIQUIDS. Exercise
The two sets of apparatus can be used 1. The water heating system
Purplish stream of water is seen rising upwards to the top. At the top the a. Explain why heating elements is placed at the bottom of water
stream changes its direction of motion and now sinks to the bottom. heating system?
b. Explain how water is heated in an electric kettle?
The arrows also show the direction of the convection current.
c. Draw arrows on diagram above to show convection current.
RADIATION: A process where heat waves are emitted that may be absorbed, Feature of flask Reduces transfer of Explanation
reflected, or transmitted through colder body. heat by
This is how heat travels from the sun to the Earth, the sun heats the earth by Silvered inner radiation Silvered surfaces are bad
heat radiant heat called infrared radiation (E.M WAVES). That means and outer walls absorbers and emitters of
radiation can travel through vacuum, no medium is needed for radiation radiated heat. Inside heat is
process. reflected inside
Warm or hot objects (at higher temperature than the surrounding) will emit Vacuum Conduction and Conduction and convection
the radiation whereas cool objects (at lower temperature) will usually absorb between walls convection cannot occur through a
the radiation from the surrounding. vacuum
ABSORBERS OF RADIANT HEAT AND EMITTERS OF RADIANT HEAT Stopper or lid Convection and The stopper traps a layer of air
conduction above the liquid, preventing
Black or dull surface are known as good absorber of radiation, also known as convection and plastic is poor
good emitter of radiation. conductor.
Shinny or polished or white surface are known as bad absorber of radiation, Glass walls conduction Glass is a poor conductor of
also known as bad emitter of radiation. heat
APPLICATIONS OF THERMAL RADIATION
1. A VACUUM (THERMOS) FLASK 2. Pots and kettles have shiny outer surfaces to prevent them from
emitting radiant heat quickly and make their contents cold.
3. Houses in hot climates and petroleum tankers are often painted with
bright paint to reduce absorption of radiant. For the same reason
white (or bright coloured) clothes are cooler to wear in summer
because they reflect much of the heat and dark coloured or black
clothes are ideal for cold weather to keep you warm.
4. The cooling fins on the back of a refrigerator are black so that they
lose heat more.
Exercise
It is designed to keep liquids hot or cold by reducing heat transfer to or from 1. The apparatus is set up as shown below with a pin attached to back
the liquid by the aid of the following features: of each two objects (one with dark/black surface and the other with
bright/shiny/silver surface).
SOME CONSEQUENCES OF HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURE
a. Sea Breezes and lad breezes
During a hot daytime the land gets hotter than the sea. The warm air rises
i. State why candle is placed at the centre?
and is replaced by cool air that blows from the sea towards the land. This sets
ii. Which wax melt first and which pin falls first?
up some convection currents known as Sea Breezes.
iii. Explain ii?
iv. Explain why polished surface is the worst absorber?
2. The two flasks in the diagram below are filled with boiling water are
allowed to cool.
But, at night the land loses heat faster than sea. Now the warmer air over the
sea rises and then is replaced by cool air that blows from the land to the sea
and sets up convection currents that is called Land Breezes.
b. Cyclones - The warm air rises carrying moisture high into the
atmosphere, formation of rain clouds takes place.
c. Global warming - The Earth’s atmosphere contains a small amount of
carbon dioxide gas or greenhouse gases creating a blanket around
i. Which thermometer will show a more rapidly fall of temperature? ozone layer and trapping reflected heat within earth, the earth
ii. Explain i. becomes warm. This process is called greenhouse effect. Excessive
heat melts polar ice that might also lead to flooding.
d. Days and nights in a desert - During the day the bare land in the
desert absorbs much more heat. Therefore, the desert sand becomes
hotter than areas covered by vegetation. Then the wind (breeze)
blows from the forest (area covered by the vegetation) to the desert.
But in nights in a desert are very cold because at night the desert loses heat
faster. The warmer air rises from the forest and a breeze develops from
desert to the forest.
Exercise
1. SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM - It has the following features:
i. Why is the solar panel painted black?
ii. What is the function of glass cover?
iii. Name heat transfer responsible for heating the water in pipes.
iv. Name other heat transfer taking place, state how each name
heat transfer is taking place?
v. Why using coiled copper tube/pipe?
2. Heat energy can be transferred from one place to another by the
three processes: conduction, convection, and radiation.
i. Which one of these processes is used to transfer energy by
means of the infra-red part of the electromagnetic
spectrum?
ii. Which two processes cannot occur in a vacuum?
iii. Which two processes can occur in a solid?
iv. Which process can only occur in a liquid or in a gas?
