Conduction is heat transfer through stationary matter by physical contact. (The matter is stationary on a macroscopic scale—we know there is thermal motion of the atoms and molecules at any temperature above absolute zero.)
Conduction requires that molecules touch each other, making it a slower process than convection or radiation. Atoms and molecules with a lot of energy have more kinetic energy and engage in more collisions with other matter.
Conduction is the process by which heat energy is transmitted through collisions between neighboring atoms or molecules. Conduction occurs more readily in solids and liquids, where the particles are closer together than in gases, where particles are further apart.
Conduction is the process where energy is transferred directly through a material or between materials in physical contact. This transfer occurs without any large-scale movement of the material itself.
Conduction is caused by the random motion of atoms and molecules. As such, it is an ineffective mechanism for heat transport over macroscopic distances and short time distances.
Conduction is the flow of heat through a material that happens with no flow of the material itself — or the transfer of heat between objects in direct contact.
In this easy guide, we’ll explain the meaning of conduction, give a clear conduction definition, and share real-life examples of conduction in both heat transfer and electrical conduction.
Conduction is one of the three main ways heat can move from one place to another (the others are convection and radiation). It's how heat travels through solid materials without the material itself moving.
Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy through a medium via direct contact and molecular collisions. It manifests as the kinetic energy of more energetic particles (atoms or molecules) being transferred to adjacent, less energetic particles within the medium.
