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Energy Transfer

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).

Metallic Bonding

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.

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