Question

When a stove top burner heats water inside a pan, what will also receive a flow of heat directly from the burner?

A) The surrounding air
B) Another burner at the same temperature
C) The heated water inside the pan
D) None of the above

Answer 1

The surrounding air receives a flow of heat from the stovetop burner, in addition to the pan and water being heated by conduction and natural convection respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a stovetop burner heats water inside a pan, the surrounding air will also receive a flow of heat directly from the burner. Heat transfer occurs in various ways, including conduction, which is the transfer of heat through direct contact, and natural convection, which involves the movement of heated fluid such as air or water due to temperature differences.

Within the scenario of heating water in a pan on a stove, the heat from the burner is first transferred to the pan via conduction. Subsequently, as the pan becomes hot, it heats the water inside by further conduction. As the water gets hot, it begins to transfer heat to the air above it through convection, causing the surrounding air to also receive heat.