======Convection Among Friends======


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**Alternative titles:** Heat Transfer with Hands, Convection and Conduction Demonstration
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Ask students to form pairs.  
  - One partner holds their hands palm-up.  
  - The other partner places their hands palm-down above the first partner’s hands.  
  - Partners slowly move their hands closer together and then farther apart, noticing the temperature differences.  
  - If no difference is felt, have one partner rub their hands together briskly to warm them before repeating the activity.  
  - Point out how heat feels stronger as the hands get closer, illustrating convection.  
  - To extend, have the partners briefly touch hands to demonstrate conduction.



====Links==== 
📄 CONVECTION AMONG FRIENDS  - Alan Nall: [[https://www.unco.edu/nhs/science/pdf/demos/1998_CSC.docx]]\\


====Variations====
  * Try having one partner heat their hands under warm water or with friction before starting.  
  * Test with different distances between hands and note when heat is first felt.  
  * Compare results indoors versus outdoors or in front of a fan to explore the role of moving air.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Avoid prolonged vigorous rubbing if hands are sensitive to friction.  
  * Do not use external heat sources (like stoves or heaters) for warming hands—stick to safe methods like friction or warm water.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does the partner feel warmth without touching? (Heat is transferred by convection through moving air between the hands.)  
  * What happens when hands touch directly? (Conduction transfers heat through direct contact.)  
  * Why does rubbing hands increase the effect? (It generates extra heat through friction, making convection easier to notice.)  
  * How is convection different from conduction? (Convection moves heat through fluids like air or water, while conduction transfers heat through direct contact between solids.)