conduction

Everyday

Conduction is the way heat or electricity moves through a material from one part to another, without the material itself moving. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, conduction is one of three ways heat travels (with convection and radiation). Metals are good conductors: a metal spoon in hot soup gets hot by conduction. Wood and plastic are poor conductors (insulators), which is why pan handles are made of them. Phrases: heat conduction, by conduction, electrical conduction.

Examples

• A metal spoon gets hot by conduction. tree →
• Heat moves through the frying pan by conduction. tree →
• Conduction happens best in metals. tree →
• Wood is a poor conductor, so it slows conduction. tree →
• Electrical conduction lets current flow through copper wires. tree →
• Conduction, convection and radiation are the three ways heat travels. tree →
• The pan handle is plastic to stop heat conduction to your hand. tree →

Note

Uncountable. The verb is «conduct», the noun for a good material «conductor», a poor one «insulator». Do not confuse with «convection» (heat carried by moving liquid or gas). Myth: «cold flows into your hand» — really heat flows out of your hand into the cold metal.