2 eggs cook in a frying pan, which is sitting over a gas burner.

Is thermal energy being transferred from the metal pan to the eggs by radiation in this image? Why or why not?

1 answer

No, thermal energy is not being transferred from the metal pan to the eggs by radiation in this image. Radiation is the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves, such as from the sun to the earth. In this scenario, the transfer of thermal energy is occurring through conduction, where heat is being directly transferred from the metal pan to the eggs through direct contact.