Convection Basics
Many have probably heard of convection ovens before, but what actually does convection mean? The convection process is similar to the rain cycle you learned about in elementary school. As with the rain cycle, convection occurs in a circular, repeating process involving heat. Convection is a form of heat transfer that occurs between a surface and a moving fluid at different temperatures. The term fluid refers to both liquids and gases. First, let's take a look at what happens when a fluid is heated. Imagine a scenario of a hot air balloon. When the burner of the hot air balloon is ignited, the air molecules trapped within the balloon begin to vibrate and collide, causing the molecules to separate further and further. This separation between the molecules decreases the density of the air particles. Since these particles close to the burner are less dense than the particles further up in the balloon, the heated air particles will rise upward. As the heated particles rise, their ...