Final answer:
Heat transfer can occur through conduction, convection, or radiation. Conduction involves direct physical contact, convection is the movement of warm and cool fluids, and radiation involves electromagnetic waves. Fins on a circuit board aid in cooling through enhanced convective heat transfer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Methods of Heat Transfer
Heat can be transferred in three primary ways: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction is the process of heat transfer through direct contact between materials. For instance, heat from a hot stove is conducted to a pot placed on it. Convection involves the transfer of heat by the physical movement of fluids (liquids and gases). This is how heat circulates through liquids and gases, such as when warm air rises and cool air sinks.
Radiation is the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves. The Sun's heat reaches Earth through radiation. In the context of cooling a circuit board with fins, the fins enhance the transfer of heat by convection, allowing for more efficient cooling as warm air rises away from the surface of the fins and is replaced by cooler air.