The transfer of heat through vibrations of particles in a solid is known as?

• A. Conduction
• B. Convection
• C. Radiation
• D. Evaporation

Answer: (A)

Conduction is heat transfer through a solid by the way its particles interact and vibrate. When a part of the solid is heated, its particles gain energy and pass some of that energy to adjacent particles through contact. In metals, free electrons also move rapidly and help spread energy through the material, speeding up conduction. This is why a metal rod or spoon becomes hot along its length when one end is placed in heat. Other methods involve fluids moving (convection) or heat traveling as waves (radiation), neither of which describe heat transfer by particle vibrations in a solid.