Convection Flashcards
Define convection.
Convection is the transfer of heat energy through fluids.
Define fluids.
Anything that can flow e.g. liquid, gas etc.
What happens when a fluid is heated?
Because the particles aren’t fixed, when they are heated, they move around faster, which causes the warmer particles to move towards the cooler region.
Which particles are more spread out and why?
Warmer particles are more spread out than cooler particles, because they are less dense.
What do the particles in the warmer region do?
The particles in the warmer region expand as they heat up, and becomes less dense the cooler fluid.
What do the particles in the fluid that are near the heat source do?
The particles near the heat source would gain energy,and spread out becoming less dense.
What happens when the particles are less dense?
The less dense particles would rise above the cooler particles, and the cooler particles would sink down.
What happens when the warmer particles reach the top of the container?
The warmer particles would begin to loose energy and cooler particles that are at the bottom of the container nearest to the heat source would gain energy.
What is the cycle of these particles heating up and cooling down because of their heat source called?
Convection currents; this cycle would continue for as long as the fluid is being heated.
