Thermal Conduction

What is conduction?
• Thermal conduction is the transfer of heat
[internal energy] by microscopic collisions of
particles and movement of electrons within the
material.
• The microscopically colliding particles, that
include molecules, atoms and electrons,
transfer disorganized microscopic kinetically
and potential energy, jointly known as internal
energy.

• Conduction takes place in solids and convection

takes place in fluids. Does it true?
Does it occurs in solids only?
• Nope, it occurs in all states of matter.
• In conduction, heat is transferred through direct contact
between bodies. Since direct contact is possible in solids,
liquids as well as gases, conduction can take place in all of
them.

• Since solids are more tightly bound than other forms of matter
and hence conduction is better in the solid state, as compared
to other forms of matter.
material k (W/m K) material k (W/m K) feathers 0.034 steel, plain (273 K) 45–65

air, sea level 0.025 neoprene 0.15–0.45 steel, stainless (27

fiberglas 0.035 14
3 K)
air, 10,000 m 0.020 nickel 90.7
freon 12, liquid 0.0743 straw 0.05
aluminum 237 particle board 0.15 freon 12, vapor 0.00958 teflon 0.25
asbestos 0.05–0.15 paper 0.04–0.09 felt 0.06 tin 66.6
asphalt 0.15–0.52 plaster 0.15–0.27 glass 1.1–1.2 titanium 21.9
gold 317 tungsten 174
brass (273 K) 120 platinum 71.6
granite 2.2 uranium 27.6
brick 0.18 plutonium 6.74 helium gas 0.152 vacuum 0
bronze (273 K) 110 plywood 0.11
helium I (< 4.2 K) 0.0307 water, ice (223 K) 2.8
carbon,
895 polyester 0.05
diamond helium II (< 2.2 K) ~100,000? water, ice (273 K) 2.2

carbon, polystyrene water, liquid

1950 0.03–0.05 ice cream powder 0.05 0.561
graphite (∥) foam (273 K)
water, liquid
carbon, polyurethane iron 80.2 0.679
5.7 0.02–0.03 (373 K)
graphite (⊥) foam
water, vapor
lead 35.3 0.016
carpet 0.03–0.08 sand 0.27 (273 K)

chromium 93.7 silica aerogel 0.026 water, vapor

limestone 1 0.025
(373 K)
concrete 0.05–1.50 silver 429 marble 1.75 wood 0.09–0.14
copper 401 soap powder 0.11 mercury 8.34 wool 0.03–0.04
mica 0.26 zinc 116
cotton 0.04 snow (< 273 K) 0.16
Questions to discuss:

• Why do we feel metal objects seems to be cold

during winter seasons? Does metal rod cool
beyond the surrounding temperature?

• In colder countries,peoples build igloo (snow

house). Does it keep them warmer? How?
Fourier‘s law
• The law of heat conduction, also
known as Fourier's law, states that the
rate of heat transfer through a
material is proportional to the
negative gradient in the temperature.

Where qx is heat flux

K is thermal conductivity
Dt/dx is temperature gradient. Resistance
Heat transfer rate for different shaped materials
• cylinder
Thermal insulation