Conduction, convection, and radiation
CONCEPTUALDescribe and compare the three mechanisms of heat transfer — conduction (particle vibration through solids), convection (fluid movement in liquids/gases), and radiation (infrared waves) — and explain that the rate of transfer depends on temperature difference
Mastery Evidence
- Explains the particle-level mechanism for conduction and why metals are good conductors
- Describes a convection current using particle theory and gives a real-world example
- Explains that all objects emit and absorb infrared radiation and how surface colour affects this
- States that a greater temperature difference increases the rate of heat transfer
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] was heating soup on a hob and also warming their hands by a radiator, could they explain which type of heat transfer is happening in each case — and why the soup pot gets hot throughout even though it’s only heated at the bottom?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
KS3.Sci.Phys.Energy.5The national curriculum in Englandthe dependence of the rate of heat transfer on the temperature difference
Prerequisites2
- The Particle ModelsoftAges 11—12
- Energy stores and transfershardAges 11—12
Show full prerequisite tree
- The Particle Model soft
Explaining conduction and convection at the particle level requires knowing the particle model of matter
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Using the particle model to explain density, compressibility, and anomalous expansion requires fluent reading and drawing of particle diagrams
- Matter Is Made of Particles hard
KS3 particle model extends US KS2 introduction to matter as particles too small to see
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Developing a model of matter as particles too small to see is built on the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must observe state changes before explaining them with particle model
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Solids, Liquids & Gases hard
Must understand observable states of matter before modelling them with particles
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Solids, Liquids & Gases hard
KS3 particle model extends KS2 classification of solids, liquids and gases by observable properties
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Energy stores and transfers hard
Conduction, convection and radiation are three of the pathways for energy transfer by heating — the stores/transfers framework provides the structure
- Speed and energy hard
KS3 kinetic energy store extends KS2 US understanding that faster-moving objects have more energy
- Naming types of energy hard
Relating an object's speed to its energy requires 'kinetic energy' vocabulary
- Drawing Force Diagrams soft
Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction
- Naming types of energy hard
Identifying energy stores and transfer pathways is a formalisation of the energy type vocabulary introduced earlier
- Greenhouse Gas Science soft
KS3 energy stores and radiation transfer provides the physics vocabulary for explaining how greenhouse gases re-emit infrared
- Global Wind Patterns hard
Greenhouse radiation physics provides the energy imbalance context that drives differential heating and global circulation
- Seasons & Weather Patterns soft
Climate as long-term patterns benefits from knowing seasonal patterns
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Geography & Local Weather hard
Climate concept requires knowing that different places have different typical weather
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Geography & Local Weather hard
Climate zones formalize the concept of different weather around the world
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Seasons & Weather Patterns soft
Climate as long-term patterns benefits from knowing seasonal patterns
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Geography & Local Weather hard
Climate concept requires knowing that different places have different typical weather
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Shapes of land and water hard
Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Temperature & Thermometers soft
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Sunlight warms things up soft
Sun drives weather builds on curriculum sunlight warms Earth's surface
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- What Causes Wind hard
Sun-driven weather systems extend the basic wind-cause concept to global scale
- Seasons & Weather Patterns soft
Climate as long-term patterns benefits from knowing seasonal patterns
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Geography & Local Weather hard
Climate concept requires knowing that different places have different typical weather
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Shapes of land and water hard
Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Temperature & Thermometers soft
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Sunlight warms things up soft
Sun drives weather builds on curriculum sunlight warms Earth's surface
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- What Causes Wind hard
Sun-driven weather systems extend the basic wind-cause concept to global scale
- How energy travels around hard
KS3 energy stores model extends KS2 US observation that energy is transferred by sound, light, heat and electric currents
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Naming types of energy hard
Describing energy transfer by sound, light, heat, and electric current requires energy type vocabulary
- Building a simple circuit hard
Must know circuits before understanding energy transfer by electric current
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Understanding vibrating materials and sound requires 'vibration' vocabulary
- Communication with Light & Sound hard
Must understand how sound works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
Must understand how light works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
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