Final answer:
The primary method of heat transfer responsible for heating the bottom of a pot on a stove is conduction, where heat moves through physical contact from the stove to the pot.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a pot on the stove heats up, the method of heat transfer primarily responsible for heating the bottom of the pot as it comes into direct contact with the stove is conduction. In this process, thermal energy is transferred through stationary matter by physical contact; the matter is stationary on a macroscopic level, even though there is thermal motion of the atoms and molecules at a microscopic level. The heat is transferred from the hotter stove element to the colder pot until both reach an equilibrium temperature.