conduction

• conduction is the transfer of heat energy through the vibration of particles
• in a solid, the particles are held tightly together. so when one particle vibrates, it bumps into other particles nearby and quickly passes the vibrations on
• when a pan is placed on a hob, heat energy from the hob causes particles in the pan to vibrate more and gain heat energy
• when these particles collide with nearby particles, they pass some of their extra heat energy on to them
• this process continues throughout the pan until the heat has passed all the way through
• when food is placed into the hot pan, heat energy is transferred from the particles in the pan to the particles in the food in a similar way until the food is cooked through
• metals are good conductors of heat. this is why most pans are made out of metal - so energy from the cooker is quickly transferred to the pan and its contents