Thermal Energy III - JSS2 Basic science Past Questions and Answers - page 1

Convection helps in redistributing heat by creating vertical currents in fluids. Warmer fluids rise, carrying heat energy upwards, while cooler fluids sink, replacing them. This circulation helps regulate temperatures, influencing weather patterns and ocean currents.

An everyday example of convection is boiling water on a stove. As the water heats up at the bottom of the pot, it becomes less dense and rises to the surface. Meanwhile, cooler water near the surface moves downwards to replace it. This continuous circulation of water helps distribute the heat evenly throughout the pot, causing it to boil.

Convection plays a significant role in redistributing heat energy, which in turn affects temperature variations in the atmosphere and oceans. By understanding convection, scientists can better predict and understand weather events, ocean circulation patterns, and their impacts on ecosystems and human activities.