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Heat - Conduction (continued from the previous page).
We have seen that heat conduction in non-metals
is slow.
Metals conduct heat
quickly.
If you do not know what is a
metal and what is a non-metal,
see the GCSE Chemistry site at the
periodic table.
How does Heat Conduction in Metals Work?
Metals
have ions which are surrounded by free electrons.
These free electrons can travel
quickly and easily
throughout the
structure.
The electrons transfer the heat
energy by colliding with other atoms and electrons
in the metal (see also the theory
of electrical resistance).
In the above picture, the
blue lines represent free electrons
and the red balls are metal atoms.
It is the presence of free electrons that makes metals
good conductors of electricity as well as heat.
Links
Energy
Transfer
Revision Questions
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