Heat Transfer

Specific Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate the types of heat transfer
2. Investigate the movement of heat in matter
3. Describe how the vacuum flask works.
Heat Transfer
Heat transfer is the movement of heat from one place to another.
Heat is a form of energy which leads to increase of temperature in a body or object.
Types of heat transfer
There are types of heat transfer. These are conduction, convection and radiation.
1. Conduction
Conduction is the movement of heat in solids. It is the transfer of heat through solids.
Heat is transferred from the hot region to the cold region by vibration of particles. Heat
travels from where it is more to where it is less. The heated part has more heat.
The movement of heat in solids
Some solids transfer heat faster than others. These objects are called good conductors of heat.
Metals are examples of good conductors of heat.

When the copper rod is heated, the wax melts and the pins fall off one by one starting with
pin A. This is because particles at the end of the copper rod in the flame become hot and start
to vibrate more strongly. As these particles vibrate, they hit other particles next to them and
make them vibrate as well. In this way the hot particles transfer some of their heat to the
cooler particles next to them. This continues until heat reaches the other end of the copper
rod. In this way we say heat has been conducted along the copper rod. Heat reach the wax
on the copper rod by conduction.
The purpose of the cardboard is to prevent heat transfer by radiation.
If you keep your hand on the handle of a spoon, you would soon feel warm. This is because
heat has been conducted from the source to the end of a spoon and finally to your hand.
Other objects do not allow heat to pass through them. These are called insulators or poor
conductors. Examples of insulators include wood and paper. Poor conductors of heat do not
transfer heat.
When one end of the wooden stick is heated, the wax does not melt and the pins do not fall.
This is because the wooden stick is a poor conductor of heat.

Metal spoons have plastic or wooden handles because they are poor conductors of heat.

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Example
1. The diagram below shows a copper rod dipped into a beaker containing mercury on one side
and a beaker containing water on the other side. The rod was then heated in the middle using
a Bunsen burner.

(a) (I) State the term given to the movement of heat in the copper rod.
(II) Explain why asbestos boards were placed in the positions shown.
(b) (I) Which wax would melt first?
(II) Give a reason for your answer in question (b) (I) above.
(III) Explain why the wax on the other beaker did not melt at the same time as the one
mentioned in (b) (I) above.
(c) Suggest a method of heat transfer not demonstrated in the experiment above.
Solution
(a) (I) Conduction
(II) Prevent heat transfer by radiation
(b) (I) Wax 1
(II) Mercury is a good conductor of heat.
(III) The boiling point of mercury (357°C) is higher than that of water (100°C).
(c) Convection
Exercise
1. One end of the metal rod was heated for 4 minutes

(a) Which pin A, B, C or D falls first? Explain your answer?

(b) By what process does the heat reach the wax on the metal rod?
(c) One end of the wooden stick was heated for 4 minutes.

Explain what happens to the pins?

(d) How would you make use of the principle of heat transfer demonstrated by the metal rod
and wooden stick in daily life?
(e) Between the metal rod and wooden stick, which material is a good or bad conductor of
heat?
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 (I) Good conductor
(II) Bad conductor
(f) Why does the handle of pot become hot even if is not sitting on the stove
(g) Why do metal spoons have plastic or wooden handles?
Convection
Convection is the movement of heat in liquids and gases
Heat travels through liquids like water
The movement of heat in liquids by convection
When water is heated, bubbles are seen rising up. The bubbles move upwards when water is
heated. This shows that heat is travelling through water
The water at the bottom of the container rises. Heat travels through water by convection
In convection, heat is carried by the particles from the hot region to the cold region.

When the water is heated, the hot A few crystals of potassium

particles of the water at the bottom permanganate are dropped into the
rises to the top. At the same time, the bottom of the beaker through a straw.
cold particles of water at the top The colour changes as shown by
moves down to the bottom and also arrows
become heated. The coloured path shows the
This process of the hot particles convection current in water
rising and cold particles moving Cautions for the setting
downwards results in convection It must be heated at the bottom of the
currents potassium manganate.
Movement of heat in air by convection
The direction of convection currents created by the heat source is made visible by the smoke
from the smouldering cloth.
The smouldering cloth is used to show convection current.

The smoke produced by the smoldering cloth goes down through the cold chimney, flows
through the top of the glass smoke box and comes out the through the hot chimney.
When the air above the heat source is heated, it becomes light. It therefore rises and escapes
through the hot chimney directly above the heat source.
Colder air at the top of the cold chimney rushes down through the hot chimney to replace the
risen air.
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 The movement of smoke suggests that heat travels in air by convection currents.
Precautions
Smoldering cloth must be placed just above the cold chimney.
The heat source must be placed under hot chimney.
Effects of convection
Sea and Land Breeze
Sea breeze is the movement of air from the sea to the land.

During the day, the surface of the land is warmed by the sun and the air above it rises. The
water takes long to warm up and so the air above it is cooler, therefore taking longer to rise.
The air above the sea therefore moves towards the land to replace the hot air which has
risen.
Land breeze is the movement of air from the land to the sea.

At night, the reverse occurs. The land loses its heat quickly and becomes cold, but the water
in the sea loses its heat more slowly. Therefore, the air above the water is warmed and rises.
This causes the cold air above the land to move towards the sea to replace the rising warm
air.
Radiation
Radiation is the method of heat transfer from the source without requiring particles of a solid,
liquid or gas.
The heat reaching your hands when you hold them near a fire reaches them by radiation.
Heat from the sun reaches us also by radiation.
Radiation is the only method of transfer of heat which does not require a medium (solid,
liquid or gas) to travel from one place to another. It can travel through a vacuum (space that
is empty)

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Experiment
Aim: To show which surface absorbs heat better (black and white).
Experimental set up

Cautions for the setting

The tins must be the same size.
The tins must have the same amount of water
Result
The thermometer in the black tin shows a higher temperature reading than the one in the
white tin.
Conclusion
The black (dark) surface is a good absorber of heat.
Experiment: To show which surface emits heat better (black and white).
Experimental setup

Cautions for the setting

The thermometers must be far from the heat source. (It prevents the thermometers from
heating by the heat source directly.)
Result
The thermometer near the black wall shows a higher temperature reading than the other.
Conclusion
The black (dark) surface is a good emitter of heat.
The dark colour emits and absorbs the heat well, otherwise the bright shiny colour can
prevent the heat loss by radiation.
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Example
1. Grade 8 learners carried out an experiment by putting 100ml of hot water into the three
different cups of the same thickness but made of glass, aluminum and ceramic. This was
followed by inserting thermometers in the cups as shown below:

One of the learners touched the outside of the cups and compared how hot each cup felt.
(a) Which cup felt the hottest?
(b) Give a reason for your answer in question (a) above.
(c) If the cups were allowed to cool for 10 minutes, and then the thermometers read, which cup
would the temperature drop;
(I) Fastest?
(II) Slowest?
(d) What conclusion can be drawn from the experiment above?
(e) Name one device used to keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold.
Solution
(a) Aluminum cup
(b) Aluminum is a metal and therefore, a good conductor of heat.
(c) (I) Aluminum cup
(II) Ceramic cup
(d) Metals are both good conductors and emitters of heat.
(e) Thermos or vacuum flask
2. Study the diagrams showing two equal sized metal cans both containing hot water at 950C.

The metal cans were allowed to stand in the open for 40 minutes and then temperature
recorded again.
(a) Which of the metal cans M or N will record a lower temperature than the other after 40
minutes?

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 (b) What could be the reason for the other metal can having the higher temperature after the
40 minutes?
(c) Suggest the function of the filter paper covering the metal cans in the above experiment.
(d) Mention the method by which heat is lost by the painted surfaces of the metal cans.
(e) What conclusion can be made in the above experiment?
(f) Explain why it is important to paint houses white or bright colours in very hot countries?
Solution
(a) N
(b) It has higher temperature because it loses less heat.
(c) To prevent heat loss from the liquid.
(d) Radiation
(e) Polished white or silver material loses less heat than black materials.
(f) It reflects heat away and makes the inside of the house cool
The vacuum flask
A vacuum flask is used to keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold for a long time.
It is a vessel used to maintain liquids at a constant temperature.
It is called vacuum flask because it uses a vacuum to reduce heat loss or gain by convection
and conduction.
Structure of a vacuum flask
A vacuum flask is made up of a glass vessel, vacuum, cork stopper and outer case.

Functions of parts of a vacuum flask

1. Glass vessel
It is the main insulator in the vacuum flask
The glass vessel has double silvered walls (inner and outer walls) which reduce heat loss by
radiation.
Function of the glass vessel
The glass vessel is mainly used as an insulator to reduce heat loss by conduction since it is a
poor conductor of heat
The inner silvered wall reflects heat back to the liquid so that the hot liquid remains hot
The outer silvered wall reduces heat gain by reflecting the heat towards the outer casing so
that the cold liquid put in the flask remains cold
The sealed tip on the glass vessel is where the air was sucked out from between the walls
2. Vacuum
It is a space found between the silvered walls
Function of the vacuum
It reduces heat loss or gain by convection and conduction
3. Cork stopper
It is found at the mouth of the vacuum flask
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Function of the cork stopper
It reduces heat loss or gain by evaporation convection and conduction
4. Outer case
It is held away from the vessel by cork supporter to reduce heat loss or gain by conduction
Function of the outer casing
It protects the inner parts of the flask from damage
Exercise
1. Study the diagram showing the vacuum flask.

(a) Name the parts labelled A, B, C and D.

(b) Why does a vacuum flask use glass inside?
(c) Explain why the glass vessel has a silver colour.
(d) Which two labelled parts prevent heat loss by conduction and convection?
(e) Identify the part which prevents heat transfer by conduction only.
(f) What is the function of the parts labelled A and D?
(g) Describe the importance of the apparatus shown above.
Solution
(a) A Cork stopper
B Inner silvered glass wall
C Vacuum
D Sealed tip
(b) Glass is a poor conductor of heat.
(c) It radiates or reflects heat back into the liquid to keep it hot.
It reflects heat towards the outer case to keep the liquid cold for long time.
(d) A Cork stopper
C Vacuum
(e) Cork support
(f) A Reduces heat loss by convection and conduction.
D It is a point where gases or air was sucked
(g) It is used to keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold for a long time.

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