Thermal Convection

Learning objectives

To illustrate the propagation of thermal energy (heat)
To know that, in this mode of thermal transfer, there is a transfer of matter. It thus only applies to gases and liquids.

Convection is one of the modes of thermal transfer.

A gas or a fluid becomes less dense when it is heated. It then has a tendency to rise, and float on top of the more dense, colder regions. This explains the phenomenon of convection currents. This mixing enables the heating of an entire room with a single radiator or the entire volume of water in a pot by heating only the bottom of that pot.