Grade 7 · Science · Unit 11 of 12
Moving Heat
Conduction, convection, radiation
What your child practises
How heat is transmitted by conduction, convection and radiation, how the Sun's radiation heats different surfaces, and technologies such as insulation and double-pane windows that reduce heat loss.
Ontario Curriculum expectation: E1.1, E2.4–E2.6 · conduction, convection, radiation, and technologies that reduce heat loss
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which is an example of heat transfer by conduction?
- The Sun warming Earth
- Warm air rising from a heater
- A pan handle becoming hot on a stove
- Smoke rising in a chimney
Show answer
A pan handle becoming hot on a stove
Hint: Conduction needs direct contact.
Question 2
Which action would NOT reduce heat loss from a house in winter?
- installing double-pane windows
- adding attic insulation
- opening windows to let in fresh air for hours
- sealing gaps around doors
Show answer
opening windows to let in fresh air for hours
Hint: Open windows let warm air escape and cold air in.
Question 3
A thermos keeps drinks hot using a vacuum gap between two shiny walls. What does the vacuum do?
- It makes the walls thicker
- It adds heat to the drink
- It stops conduction and convection across the gap
- It stops radiation completely by itself
Show answer
It stops conduction and convection across the gap
Hint: There are no particles in a vacuum to carry heat. The shiny walls reflect radiation.
Question 4
Which kind of heat transfer makes you feel warm when you stand near a campfire without touching it?
- radiation
- evaporation
- convection only
- conduction
Show answer
radiation
Hint: Heat travels as waves through the air.
Question 5
Conduction, convection or radiation? Sort each example.
Sort into: 🥄 conduction · 🌬️ convection · ☀️ radiation
- ☀️warmth from the Sun on your face
- 🥄a metal spoon warming in hot soup
- 🍲water circulating in a boiling pot
- 🏖️bare feet heated by hot sand
- 🔥warmth from a campfire felt at a distance
- ♨️warm air rising from a radiator
Show answer
🥄 conduction: a metal spoon warming in hot soup, bare feet heated by hot sand · 🌬️ convection: water circulating in a boiling pot, warm air rising from a radiator · ☀️ radiation: warmth from the Sun on your face, warmth from a campfire felt at a distance
Hint: Conduction: heat passes through direct contact. Convection: heat is carried by moving liquid or gas. Radiation: heat travels as waves, even through empty space.
Question 6
During the day near a big lake, the land warms faster than the water. What happens to the air over the land?
- It warms and rises, and cooler air from the lake moves in
- It cools and sinks
- It changes into water
- It stops moving
Show answer
It warms and rises, and cooler air from the lake moves in
Hint: This convection current is called a lake or sea breeze.