More big ideas... about heating and cooling

Heat energy can move from place to place in different ways. When two objects or substances at different temperatures touch each other, heat energy flows from the one at the higher temperature to the one at the lower temperature by conduction. If you have ever picked up a spoon from a hot cup of chocolate, the spoon became hotter by conduction.

Particles that are free to move from one place to another can also carry heat energy from one place to another by convection. The bubbles in a pot of boiling water are carrying heat energy in the particles of water that move to the surface and escape.

Heat energy can also move from place to place by radiation. If you ever sat near a roaring campfire or next to a hot stove, you probably felt the warmth of the heat by radiation.