Final answer:
Radiation is the type of heat transfer that can take place in solids, liquids, gases, and empty space through electromagnetic waves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of heat transfer that can occur through solids, liquids, gases, and empty space is radiation. Unlike conduction, which requires physical contact, and convection, which involves the movement of fluids, radiation can transfer heat through the emission or absorption of electromagnetic waves. This is the same principle by which the Earth is warmed by the Sun. Not only does radiation occur in empty space, but it is also a key method of heat transfer in various applications on Earth, such as in the warming of human skin in sunlight or in the operation of microwave ovens.