Two iron rods are placed horizontally, touching end-to-end. One end of one rod is heated. After some time, the other rod also feels warm to touch. How did the heat travel from the heated rod to the one that was not heated?

Question

Chemistry

Cassandra Hamilton

10 November, 22:24

Two iron rods are placed horizontally, touching end-to-end. One end of one rod is heated. After some time, the other rod also feels warm to touch. How did the heat travel from the heated rod to the one that was not heated?

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Answers (2)

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Baron Banks · Answer 1

Electrons conducted heat

Explanation:

Iron is a metallic compound. One property of metallic compounds are that they have many loose electrons.

Consider the two rods to be a singular rod, since they touch:

An uncountable number of electrons at one end of the rod are heated, so they gain kinetic energy. Those electrons then collide with other electrons, which energize those as well (although less), which is equal to adding heat. This is a pattern that will flow all the way through the rod.

Eliana Ortiz · Answer 2

Answer: Part of the heat was converted to radiation and traveled to the cooler rod.