Final answer:
The transfer of heat through direct contact between objects is known as conduction, such as when heat transfers from a stove to a pan, or from the air around a stove to a person standing nearby.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes the transfer of heat through direct contact between objects is conduction. When Zoe is frying eggs, the heat from the stove is transferred to the pan and then to the eggs through conduction. Similarly, when Zoe feels hot standing near the stove, the heat conducted from the stove to the air around it can also transfer to Zoe's body through conduction.
Heat conduction is the process where energetic motion of particles in one region spreads to other regions due to direct physical contact. Another example of conduction in everyday life is when heat transfers from a hot skillet to a steak cooking on it.
Convection involves the movement of mass to transfer heat, while radiation involves the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves without needing any direct contact. Insulation is used to slow down heat transfer. Thus, the correct answer to the question is a. Conduction.