Question

A metal hammer has been lying in the sunlight on a hot day. When you pick up the hammer, it feels very warm in your hand. Can you explain the different ways that heat is moving in this situation?

Answer 1

You feel the heat by conduction. Hot atoms in the metal are vibrating and when you touch the surface the metal atoms bump into your molecules in your skin causing them to heat up and vibrate.

There is also the process of convection and radiation occuring to the hammer but aren't relevant to your hand touching the hammer.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

When heat energy is emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves that travel through the space towards a medium is known as radiation.

Whereas when heat energy is transferred when two objects of different temperature come in contact with each other. Then transfer of heat energy takes place from more hotter to less hotter object. This process of heat transfer is known as conduction.

Therefore, when a metal hammer has been lying in the sunlight on a hot day then the hammer becomes hot due to radiations from the sun.

And, when we pick up the hammer, it feels very warm in our hand because of the process of conduction.

As temperature of our hand and hammer is different therefore, transfer of heat takes place from hammer to our hand.