Final answer:
The types of thermal energy transfer responsible for heating the water in a pot on a stove are conduction and convection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The types of thermal energy transfer that are primarily responsible for heating the water in a pot on a stove are conduction and convection.
Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct physical contact. When the electric burner of a stove comes into contact with the bottom of the pot, heat is transferred through conduction.
Convection is the heat transfer by the macroscopic movement of a fluid. Once heat is conducted from the stove to the inside of the pot, it is mostly transferred to other parts of the pot and the water through convection. This is because the hotter water expands, decreases in density, and rises to transfer heat to other regions of the water, while colder water sinks to the bottom, creating a continuous circulation of heat.