HEAT TRANSFER

Heat transfer is the process of moving heat from a location where much heat exists to another
location. In physics, it is taught this is mainly accomplished one of three ways: conduction,
convection or radiation. In some ways, using this knowledge helps humans manipulate thermal
energy in ways that are most beneficial.
Understanding the principles behind heat transfer helps people do a number of activities more
efficiently. From providing adequate heat in a home to providing options for cooking various foods,
heat transfer plays a vital role in everyone's lives. The uses of heat transfer are nearly endless.
Conduction is one of the most common ways to transfer heat. This is done by transferring heat
through matter from one atom to the next. It is most commonly experienced when a piece of metal,
such as a cooking spoon, is left too long in a hot liquid. The heat will travel up the spoon. Some
materials are more conductive than others, which is why metal pots often have rubber handles and
why cooking utensils also come in wood and plastic varieties.

Conduction is a type of heat transfer that can also be easily experienced in other ways, such as when
holding a piece of metal. Often, the metal will feel cool to the touch, even though it is actually the
same temperature as anything else in the room or area. What is really taking place is a heat transfer
between your body and the metal. The metal is actually taking heat away from your skin.
Convection is the actual physical movement of heat from one location to another in the form of liquid
or gas. Generally hot air, and heat in general, rises, which is why steam from a boiling pot goes up.
This concept can be clearly demonstrated on a hot day and is responsible for moderating
temperatures near the oceans and see breezes. As warm air rises from the land in the afternoon and
early evening, cooler air over the water moves in and takes its place, causing a breeze toward the
shore.
The opposite is true in the morning. Since the air over the water does not cool as fast, it rises in the
morning and is replaced by air over land. Thus, the sea breeze actually blows out toward the sea at
that time.
The other type of heat transfer is radiation. While many have become concerned after hearing about
the bad effects of radiation and its ability to cause cancer, this type of heat transfer is responsible for
most of warmth our planet receives. Radiation occurs when heat travels via electromagnetic waves
through seemingly empty voids, such as the sun's heat traveling through space. Radiation is
responsible for traditional baking as well as cooking in a microwave oven.

ENERGY TRANSFORMATION
Energy transformation is the process of changing energy from one form to another. This process is
happening all the time, both in the world and within people. When people consume food, the body utilizes the
chemical energy in the bonds of the food and transforms it into mechanical energy, a new form of chemical
energy, or thermal energy. Energy transformation is an important concept in the application of the physical
sciences. The ability for energy to be transformed automates, lights, entertains, and warms the world in an
astounding multitude of ways.
The concept of energy transformation can be illustrated in a number of common activities. An engine, such as
the engine in a car, converts the chemical energy of gas and oxygen into the mechanical energy of engine
movement. A light bulb changes the chemical energy of the bulb into electromagnetic radiation, or light.
Windmills harness the energy of the wind and convert it into mechanical energy in the movement of the turbine
blades, which is then converted to electrical energy. Solar panels transform light to electricity.

Energy transformation can also be explained in terms of potential energy, the stored energy of a system, which
can be converted into kinetic energy, the energy of movement. For example, a roller coaster sitting at the top
of a hill is said to have potential energy. This potential energy is gravitational, which is gained when the coaster
moves up the hill. Once the coaster begins to move down the hill, the force of gravity is exerted and the
potential energy is transformed into the kinetic energy of the car moving. During energy transformations,
potential energy is often transformed to kinetic energy and back again to potential energy.
During any kind of energy transformation, some energy is lost to the environment. As a result of this loss, no
machine is ever 100% efficient. Commonly, a portion of the energy lost during energy transformation is lost as
heat. This can be observed in practice by noting the heat emitted by a computer, a car, or another type of
machine that has been in use for a period of time.
The ability of a given machine or system to convert between forms of energy is called the "energy conversion
efficiency." All systems have different energy conversion efficiencies. Water turbines, for instance, have an
extremely high energy conversion efficiency of nearly 90%, while combustion engines have from 10% to 50%
conversion efficiency. Engineering and physics are constantly in pursuit of systems capable of achieving high
energy conversion efficiency.