Explain the process of conduction with an example.

Conduction is the transfer of heat in solids through direct contact.

When one end of a solid object is heated, the particles at the hotter end vibrate more strongly and pass some of their energy to neighbouring particles.

Energy is passed along this chain of particles from the hot end to the cold end, so heat travels through the object.

Example: When a metal pan is placed on a flame, the bottom of the pan heats up first.

Heat travels from the bottom to the rest of the pan by conduction, so the pan becomes hot all over.

Metals are commonly used for cooking utensils because they are good conductors of heat; free electrons and closely packed atoms help transfer energy quickly.