American Meteorological Society Certification (AMS) Practice 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The term that describes the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another through physical contact is conduction. This process occurs when two objects or substances at different temperatures come into direct contact with each other, allowing heat to flow from the warmer object to the cooler one until they reach thermal equilibrium. For instance, if you place a metal spoon in a hot pot of soup, the heat from the soup is directly transferred to the spoon, warming it up.

Convection, on the other hand, involves the movement of fluids (liquids and gases) and the transfer of heat through the motion of the fluid itself. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through electromagnetic waves, such as the heat from the sun reaching the Earth, and does not require physical contact. Evaporation is a process that occurs when molecules at the surface of a liquid gain enough energy to enter the gas phase, which is not directly related to heat transfer by contact.