Question

Rate of conduction of heat depends on:

Answer 1

Conduction of heat

• Conduction is the process of transference of heat and electricity from one body to another or from one part of a body to another part of the body.

Factors on which conduction of heat depends upon:

Temperature gradient :

• Temperature is the major factor on which the rate of conduction depends. The rate of conduction depends directly upon the change in temperature of the body.
• A temperature gradient is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the temperature changes in a specific location.
• The temperature always flows from the hottest to the coldest source, due to the fact that cold is nothing but the absence of heat energy and the transfer between bodies continues until the temperature difference decays, and a state known as thermal equilibrium occurs.

Area of contact or Cross-section Area :

• Area of contact or Cross-section Area is also important factor affecting the conduction of heat.
• The rate of conduction depends directly upon the area of contact of the body.
• The greater the size of the material involved in the transfer, the more heat is needed to warm it.
• Also, the more surface area that is exposed to open air, the greater likelihood of heat loss.

Length of the body:

• The rate of conduction depends inversely upon the length of the body.
• Shorter the length of the objects with a smaller cross-section is the best means of minimizing the loss of heat energy.

Nature of the body:

• A conductor such as metal conducts heat and electricity way better and efficiently than any other non-conductor.
• Basically, when it comes to conducting heat, not all substances are created equal.
• Metals and stone are considered good conductors since they can speedily transfer heat, whereas materials like wood, paper, air, and cloth are poor conductors of heat.