Everyday Science · 45 sec
Heat transfer
The science behind something you encounter, use, or wonder about.
The useful idea
- The useful idea
Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems.
- How it works
Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation, transfer of energy by phase changes, and evaporative cooling.
- Why it matters
Engineers also consider the transfer of mass of differing chemical species (mass transfer in the form of advection), either cold or hot, to achieve heat transfer.
Why this matters
Look for Heat transfer the next time you notice this pattern in everyday life.
Try this
Look for Heat transfer the next time you notice this pattern in everyday life.
Test your recall
Which idea belongs to the explanation of Heat transfer?
- Why it matters
- How it works
- The useful idea — correct
Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems.