Transfer of thermal energy
Conduction is the transfer of energy through matter from particle to particle. It is the transfer and distribution of heat energy from atom to atom within a substance. For example, a spoon in a cup of hot soup becomes warmer because the heat from the soup is conducted along the spoon. Conduction is most effective in solids-but it can happen in fluids. Fun fact: Have you ever noticed that metals tend to feel cold? Believe it or not, they are not colder! They only feel colder because they conduct heat away from your hand. You perceive the heat that is leaving your hand as cold.
Thermal Conductivity Apparatus
Strips of copper, brass, steel and Aluminium mounted on a wooden ring. Gentle heating at the center melts wax placed in the cups at the end of each strip. Rates of conductivity in the different metals can be compared.
A heat source (Bunsen burner) is placed under a cast iron ring to which four different metals have been rivetted. The thermal energy is conducted along each rod at different speeds and eventually melts the bead of wax at the end. You can see the wax melt in order of thermal conductivity (from highest to lowest). The slowest is for the stainless steel and it actually doesn’t melt as the heat is lost by convection and radiation in a way that causes it to reach an equilibrium temperature lower than the melting point of the way. A hotter heat source would overcome this.