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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/eng-conduction-direct-contact

Which heat-transfer mode moves energy through direct physical contact?

That mode is conduction.

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  1. Conduction ✔
  2. Convection
  3. Radiation

Why: In conduction, microscopic collisions and interactions pass energy through matter without bulk motion of the material. Metals usually conduct faster than wood or plastic.

Huh, didn't know that: A metal and a carpet at the same temperature can feel different because they remove heat from skin at different rates.

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References

Answer: Conduction. In conduction, microscopic collisions and interactions pass energy through matter without bulk motion of the material. Metals usually conduct faster than wood or plastic.

  1. OpenStax Physics, Heat, Specific Heat, and Heat Transfer openstax.org/books/physics/pages/11-2-heat-specific-heat-and-heat-transfer
    Conduction is heat transfer through direct physical contact.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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