Conduction

Conduction is the process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature or of electrical potential between adjoining regions, without movement of the material.

Study Guide

1. Definition: Conduction is the transfer of heat or electricity through a substance without the substance itself moving.
2. Examples of Conduction: Touching a metal spoon that's been in hot soup, feeling the heat from a campfire, and the warming of the earth's surface by the sun.
3. Factors affecting Conduction: The ability of a material to conduct heat or electricity depends on its physical properties. Materials that are good conductors of heat and electricity, such as metals, have high thermal and electrical conductivity.
4. Thermal Conductivity: The measure of a material's ability to conduct heat. Different materials have different thermal conductivities, with metals being good conductors and materials like wood and plastic being poor conductors.
5. Electrical Conductivity: The measure of a material's ability to conduct an electric current. Metals are good conductors of electricity, while materials like rubber and glass are insulators and do not conduct electricity.
6. Conduction in the Human Body: The human body also experiences conduction. For example, when you touch something hot, heat is conducted from the object to your skin, causing you to feel the heat.