thermal physics

• Heat transfer occurs when there is a temperature difference between two objects in thermal contact.
• When an object is heated, energy is transferred to its thermal energy store and as temperature increases, the process of heating can take place in three different ways depending on the medium involved.
• For solids, heat is transferred by conduction, where vibrating particles transfer energy to neighboring particles.
• In fluids, heat is transferred by convection, where particles gain kinetic energy and move around, causing more energetic particles to move away from the warmer region towards the cooler region.
• Heat can also be transferred through empty space without particles, a process known as radiation.
• Conduction mainly occurs in solids because the particles are held together closely, allowing for more collisions that pass on the energy.
• Convection occurs mainly in fluids because the particles are not fixed once they're heated and gain kinetic energy, causing them to move around and spread out the higher energy particles.
• Radiation is a process where energy is transferred without particles, meaning it can travel through a vacuum.
• All objects constantly absorb and emit radiation, and the hotter the object is, the more radiation it emits.