Conduction, convection, and radiation
Describe and compare the three mechanisms of heat transfer — conduction (particle vibration through solids), convection (fluid movement in liquids/gases), and radiation (infrared waves) — and explain that the rate of transfer depends on temperature difference
Typical age: 12–13 years
“If your child was heating soup on a hob and also warming their hands by a radiator, could they explain which type of heat transfer is happening in each case — and why the soup pot gets hot throughout even though it’s only heated at the bottom?”
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Needs first
- The Particle Model
Explaining conduction and convection at the particle level requires knowing the particle model of matter
- Energy stores and transfersREQUIRED
Conduction, convection and radiation are three of the pathways for energy transfer by heating — the stores/transfers framework provides the structure
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