A solid metal block is heated strongly at one end. A student asks why a convection current cannot be set up inside the block, unlike in water. The diagram s...
Question 1 Report
A solid metal block is heated strongly at one end. A student asks why a convection current cannot be set up inside the block, unlike in water. The diagram shows the fixed particles in the solid. 
Why can convection NOT take place inside the solid block?
Answer Details
Convection requires the bulk movement of fluid (liquid or gas) particles. In a solid, the particles are locked in fixed positions within a regular lattice and cannot flow from one region to another. Therefore, even though the heated end has more energetic particles, they cannot physically move through the solid to carry the energy - they can only vibrate and pass energy to neighbours by conduction. The claim that solids have too many free electrons, are always colder than liquids, or contain no thermal energy are all false.
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