heat transfer
Energy moving between
Heat transfer is the movement of thermal energy from one place to another, typically from a hotter object or region to a cooler one.
The three main mechanisms are conduction (through direct contact), convection (through fluid movement), and radiation (through electromagnetic waves).
The term appears in physics, engineering, and everyday contexts: The house loses heat through poor insulation, Heat transfer from the engine keeps the cabin warm.
Quantified chaos in systems
- enthalpyThermodynamic total heat quantity
- energyPower to do work
- calorimetryMeasuring heat in reactions
- isothermalAt uniform temperature
phase change · second law · irreversibility · exothermic · endothermic
Liquid in motion
- currentsDirectional flows of movement
- circulationMovement through a system
- buoyancyFluid's upward resistance
- thermalsWarm air columns
updraft · eddy · airflow · ventilation · boiling · steaming · chimney effect · natural convection
Involving electric and magnetic fields
- photonsDiscrete packets of radiance
- emissionDischarged substance or act
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- solarOf the star
sunlight · blackbody · Stefan-Boltzmann law · emissivity · wavelength · spectrum · reflected · transmitted
Communication or physical touch
- solidFirm matter state
- metalHard conductive solid
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- aluminumElement thirteen
iron · silver · electrons · interface · insulator · semiconductor · diffusion · crystal structure
entropy
Quantified chaos in systems
- enthalpyThermodynamic total heat quantity
- energyPower to do work
- calorimetryMeasuring heat in reactions
isothermal · phase change · second law · irreversibility · exothermic · endothermic
fluid flow
Liquid in motion
- currentsDirectional flows of movement
- circulationMovement through a system
- buoyancyFluid's upward resistance
thermals · updraft · eddy · airflow · ventilation · boiling · steaming · chimney effect · natural convection · draft
electromagnetic
Involving electric and magnetic fields
- photonsDiscrete packets of radiance
- emissionDischarged substance or act
- absorptionProcess of taking in
solar · sunlight · blackbody · Stefan-Boltzmann law · emissivity · wavelength · spectrum · reflected · transmitted · absorptivity
contact
Communication or physical touch
aluminum · iron · silver · electrons · interface · insulator · semiconductor · diffusion · crystal structure · steady-state
insulation
Thermal transfer prevention
condenser · evaporator · R-value · regenerator · cooling tower
- physics termsacoustics, optics, waves, frequency, vibration
- Mechanical Engineeringmechanical engineer, design engineer, valves, motors, aerospace engineer
- spreading processesosmosis, gas exchange, molecular motion
- physical chemistrykinetics, chemical equilibrium, reaction rates, activation energy, entropy
- cookingbaking, chop, boiling, dice, mince
- energyelectricity, power, oil, fuel, gas