Final answer:
The term for thermal transfer of energy via electromagnetic waves through space is radiation, which does not require a medium to transfer heat. Option C is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes the thermal transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves through the vacuum of space is radiation. Heat transfer can occur through different mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves heat transfer through direct contact between materials, while convection is the heat transfer by the movement of fluids.
On the other hand, radiation does not require a medium to transfer heat; instead, electromagnetic waves such as infrared radiation or visible light carry the thermal energy through space. An example of radiation is the warmth we feel from the Sun, despite the intervening vacuum of space.
The term that describes the thermal transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves through the vacuum of space is radiation.
Radiation is the transfer of energy through the emission and absorption of electromagnetic waves. Unlike conduction and convection, radiation does not require a medium and can occur through empty space. Examples of electromagnetic waves include radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays.