The document discusses three main ways that energy can be transferred: conduction, convection, and radiation. Radiation is the only form that can occur in a vacuum and is therefore important for remote sensing. Electromagnetic radiation consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields traveling at the speed of light. Remote sensing uses EMR from an energy source like the sun to illuminate targets. EMR interacts with and is affected by the atmosphere and earth's surface in complex ways like absorption, scattering, and reflection before being detected by sensors.