Conduction of Heat (Edexcel GCSE Physics)

• Thermal conduction is the process where energy is transferred by vibrating particles in a substance
• The vibrating particles transfer energy from their kinetic store to the kinetic store of neighbouring particles

• The direction of energy transfer is always from hot to cold

The higher the thermal conductivity of a material, the higher the rate of energy transfer by conduction across the material

• Materials with high thermal conductivity heat up faster than materials with low thermal conductivity

Materials with high and low thermal conductivity

• Factors affecting thermal conduction are:
  • The thickness of the material
  • The thermal conductivity of the material
  • The temperature difference between two areas of the material (for example the internal and external surfaces of a wall)

• The rate of energy transfer is reduced by:
  • Increasing the thickness of the material
  • Decreasing the thermal conductivity of the material
  • Decreasing the temperature difference