Heat transfer occurs through three modes: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the direct contact and transfer of heat between solid objects or stationary fluids. Convection uses fluid movement to transfer heat, such as hot air rising. Radiation transfers heat through electromagnetic waves and does not require a medium.

1. Introduction:
Heat Transfer:
Heat transfer is a study of the exchange of thermal energy through a body or
between bodies which occurs when there is a temperature difference. We have
learned that heat is the energy that makes molecules move. Molecules with more
heat energy move faster and molecules with less heat energy move slower. We
also learned that as molecules heat up and move faster, they spread apart and
objects expand (get bigger). This is called thermal expansion.
Heat is always moving! If we have two objects or substances that are different
temperatures, heat will always move out of the warmer object or substance, and
into the cooler object or substance. This heat transfer will continue until the
objects are the same temperature.
So how, exactly, does heat move out of one thing and into another thing? This is
called heat transfer.
Heat can transfer (or move) in 3 ways. These are given below.
 Conduction,
 Convection, and
 Radiation.
Objectives:
i. Knowing the three distinct parts of heat transfer.
ii. Knowing the difference between conduction, convection and radiation.
Figure: HEATTRANSFER

2. iii. Knowing the mechanism of three modes of heat transfer.
Modes of Heat Transfer:
There are three modes of heat transfer: Conduction, Convection, and Radiation.
Any energy exchange between bodies occurs through one of these modes or a
combination of them. Conduction is the transfer of heat through solids or
stationery fluids. Convection uses the movement of fluids to transfer heat.
Radiation does not require a medium for transferring heat; this mode uses the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by an object for exchanging heat.
1. Conduction:
Last weekend, I went to the beach. I was walking barefoot on the soft, cool grass.
When I got to the sand, I noticed that my feet were burning! Ouch! This is an
example of conduction.
Conduction is how heat transfers through direct
contact with objects that are touching. Any time
that two objects or substances touch, the hotter
object passes heat to the cooler object. (That hot
sand passed the heat energy right into my poor
feet!)
Think of a row of dominoes that are all lined up.
When we push the first domino, it bumps into the
second one, which bumps into the third one…all
the way down the line. Heat conduction is like the
dominoes.
Imagine that we place one end of a metal pole into
a fire. The molecules on the fire end will get hot.
Each hot molecule will pass the heat along to the
molecule next to it, which will pass the heat along
to the next molecule, and so on. Before we know it,
the heat has traveled all the way along the metal
pole until it reaches our hand.
Figure: Feet burning on sand
Figure:ConductionHeatTransfer

3. 2. Convection:
Convection is how heat passes through fluids. A fluid is anything that has loosely
moving molecules that can move easily from one place to another. Liquids and
gases are fluids.
Convection uses the motion of fluids to transfer heat. In a typical convective heat
transfer, a hot surface heats the surrounding fluid, which is then carried away by
fluid movement such as wind. The warm fluid is replaced by cooler fluid, which
can draw more heat away from the surface. Since the heated fluid is constantly
replaced by cooler fluid, the rate of heat transfer is enhanced.
Two types of convection are found. These are given below:
 Free/Natural Convection and
 Forced Convection.
Free/Natural Convection:
Free convection or natural convection refers to a case where the fluid movement
is created by the warm fluid itself. The density of fluid decrease as it is heated;
thus, hot fluids are lighter than cool fluids. Warm fluid surrounding a hot object
rises, and is replaced by cooler fluid. The result is a circulation of air above the
warm surface, as shown in Figure which are given below.
Figure: Convection
Figure: Natural Convection

4. Forced Convection:
Forced convection uses external means of producing fluid movement. Forced
convection is what makes a windy, winter day feel much colder than a calm day
with same temperature. The heat loss from your body is increased due to the
constant replenishment of cold air by the wind. Natural wind and fans are the two
most common sources of forced convection.
Figure: Forced Convection
3. Radiation:
Radiative heat transfer does not require a medium to pass through; thus, it is the
only form of heat transfer present in vacuum. It uses electromagnetic radiation
(photons), which travels at the speed of light and is emitted by any matter with
temperature above 0 degrees Kelvin (-273 °C). Radiative heat transfer occurs
when the emitted radiation strikes another body and is absorbed. We all
experience radiative heat transfer everyday; solar radiation, absorbed by our skin,
is why we feel warmer in the sun than in the shade.
The electromagnetic spectrum classifies radiation
according to wavelengths of the radiation. Main
types of radiation are (from short to long
wavelengths): gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet (UV),
infrared (IR), microwaves, and radio waves.
Radiation with shorter wavelengths are more
energetic and contains more heat.
Figure: Radiation

5. Conclusion:
i. I have learnt from this lab about the different modes of heat
transformation system. I came to know about conduction,
convection, radiation which are the different modes of heat transfer.
ii. Difference between conduction, convection and radiation are given
below:
Conduction Convection Radiation
1) It represents how
heat travels between
object in direct
contact.
1) It represents how
heat passes through
fluids.
1) It represents how
heat flows through
empty space.
2) Occurs in solids,
through molecular
collisions.
2) Occurs in fluids,
by actual flow of
matter.
2) Occurs at a
distance and does
not heat the
intervening
substance.
3) Conduction heat
transfer is a slow
process.
3) Convection heat
transfer is a slow
process.
3) Radiation heat
transfer is a fast
process.
Discussion:
 By this experiment we can easily get a clear idea about heat transfer as well
as the different heat transfer modes.
 We came to know that heat always passes from a warmer object to a
cooler object until all objects are the same temperature.
 What the heat is moving through(solids, liquids and gases or empty space).
 How the heat is being transferred(touch, current or waves).
Prepared By
Md. Asiqul Alam
B.Sc in Textile Engineering
Port City International University, Chittagong