What is conduction in the context of physics?

Conduction refers to the process of heat transfer through direct contact between materials, where thermal energy moves from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. This occurs at the molecular level, as particles collide with one another, transferring their kinetic energy. When two bodies are in contact, the heat from the hotter object will flow into the cooler object until thermal equilibrium is reached.

In other contexts, options focusing on radiation, chemical reactions, or evaporation refer to different mechanisms of heat transfer. Radiation involves the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves, and does not require a medium. Chemical processes involve changes at the molecular level that may release or absorb heat, but this is not the primary definition of heat conduction. Evaporation pertains to the phase change from liquid to gas, which also involves heat transfer but is not directly related to conduction. Thus, the correct understanding of conduction is specifically about the transfer of heat from one body to another through direct contact.