Conduction
Also known as: thermal conduction, heat conduction
Heat transfer through direct physical contact, where faster-moving particles pass energy to slower neighbors. Used in cooking, insulation design, heat sinks in electronics, and understanding why metals feel cold.
💡 Intuition
Touch a hot pan — heat flows from the pan to your hand through direct contact.
Core Idea
Conduction requires physical contact; metals conduct heat better than insulators.
🔬 Example
🎯 Why It Matters
Used in cooking, insulation design, heat sinks in electronics, and understanding why metals feel cold.
⚠️ Common Confusion
Conduction doesn't move matter — only thermal energy transfers between touching particles.
Related Concepts
Prerequisites
Next Steps
How Conduction Connects to Other Ideas
To understand conduction, you should first be comfortable with heat transfer and temperature. Once you have a solid grasp of conduction, you can move on to convection and radiation.
Go Deeper
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Conduction in Physics?
Heat transfer through direct physical contact, where faster-moving particles pass energy to slower neighbors.
Why is Conduction important?
Used in cooking, insulation design, heat sinks in electronics, and understanding why metals feel cold.
What do students usually get wrong about Conduction?
Conduction doesn't move matter — only thermal energy transfers between touching particles.
What should I learn before Conduction?
Before studying Conduction, you should understand: heat transfer, temperature.