Thermal Conduction

What is Thermal Conduction?

Within Physics, which covers forces, energy, waves, electricity, magnetism, light and space explained through motion and experiments, this topic explains Thermal Conduction. Physics topics explain how things move, push, heat up and carry energy, so each one here pairs a definition with a live model you can change.

Check that you can explain Thermal Conduction in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Thermal Conduction explains how the physical world behaves, from sport and transport to electricity and medicine.

Thermal Conduction in detail

Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy through a material without the material itself moving. In solids, vibrating particles pass energy to neighbours. In metals, free electrons carry energy rapidly, making metals good conductors.

Materials with trapped air, such as wool, foam and fibreglass, are good insulators because gases conduct poorly. The rate of conduction depends on the temperature difference, thickness and cross-sectional area. Conduction explains why metal feels colder than wood at the same temperature and underlies the design of saucepans and house insulation.

How the interactive helps you understand Thermal Conduction

Watch the gas particle model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the gas particle model responds.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Thermal Conduction.

Real-life uses and examples

• Use Thermal Conduction to make sense of a practical and its results.
• Answer “explain” questions by linking Thermal Conduction to a clear cause and effect.
• Predict what a ball, car or circuit will do with Thermal Conduction before you do the calculation.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing up Thermal Conduction with a related quantity that has different units.
• Forgetting that some quantities, such as force or velocity, also have a direction.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.