Question

Mud at the bottom of a fishpond has a temperature of 15oC. After a week of colder air temperatures, the mud temperature drops to 12oC. Which of the following methods of heat transfer is most responsible for the change in the mud temperature?

A) Conduction B) Convection C) Radiation

Answer 1

The change in mud temperature at the bottom of a fishpond is most likely due to conduction, as the colder water above transfers heats away from the mud through direct contact.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most responsible method of heat transfer for the change in mud temperature in a fishpond, from 15°C to 12°C, is conduction. When the air temperature drops over a week, the cold air above the pond transfers heat away from the water, and this effect subsequently cools the mud at the bottom. This happens because the cooler pond water, in contact with the mud, will transfer its thermal energy to the mud, cooling it through direct contact, which is the fundamental principle of conduction. Convection would require fluid motion and is more significant in fluids like water or air, but since the mud is solid, it primarily loses heat by conduction to the colder water above it.