What is the difference between conduction and convection? I read in my book about this, but I couldn't understand the difference between conduction and convection.
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3Possible duplicate of What exactly is the difference between radiation, conduction, and convection? – Kyle Kanos May 06 '17 at 19:15
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There's also these ~60 questions that involve conduction and convection you could have perused before posting this question. – Kyle Kanos May 06 '17 at 19:16
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To be simple, conduction may be called transfer of energy (heat, electricity, etc) through vibrational motion of medium usually solids. Convection is energy transfer through actual movement of medium particles as in fluids
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Molecules hit one another In conduction until the vibration reaches the last molecules – Deepam Banerjee May 06 '17 at 17:55
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I think the difference is whether there is macroscopic movement of the particles.
So for example: in a metal the molecules vibrate and pass their energy to the rest of the system. If they vibrate around a fixed point with no net movement, you'd call that conduction.
On the other hand, if you have something like the heating up of water or air or something of that sort, then the material can actually have net movement (say rise from the bottom to the top).
Ben S
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Conduction involves the flow of energy through a material by molecular collisions. Convection involves transport of energy carried along with the bulk movement of a material. Imagine a solid rod with a temperature gradient along the rod. Heat is conducted along the rod in proportion to the temperature gradient as a result of molecular collisions. If the rod is moving with velocity v along its own axis, then energy is also being transported in the direction of movement by the bulk advance of the material. This is one form of convective heat transfer.
Chet Miller
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