FAA Aviation Physics Practice Test

The three methods of heat transfer are convection, conduction, and radiation.

Convection is the process where heat is transferred through the movement of fluids, such as liquids and gases. This occurs as warmer areas of a fluid rise and cooler areas sink, creating a circulation pattern. For example, in an aircraft, the exchange of heat between the engine and the surrounding air occurs through convection.

Conduction refers to the transfer of heat through direct contact between materials. In this process, heat passes from particle to particle within a solid object or between solid objects in contact. For instance, when a metal part of an aircraft's structure heats up, that heat is conducted through the metal due to the close proximity of atoms and molecules.

Radiation is the transfer of heat in the form of electromagnetic waves, which can occur in a vacuum. Unlike convection and conduction, radiation does not require a medium to transfer heat. The heat received from the sun is an example of radiation, and it can also apply to the heat emitted from an aircraft's surface.

These three methods are fundamental to understanding thermal dynamics in aviation and many other fields in physics.