Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II

In convection, thermal energy is carried by the large-scale flow of matter. Ocean currents and large-scale atmospheric circulation, which result from the buoyancy of warm air and water, transfer hot air from the tropics toward the poles and cold air from the poles toward the tropics. The Earth’s rotation interacts with those flows, causing the observed eastward flow of air in the temperate zones. Convection dominates heat transfer by air, and the amount of available space for the airflow...

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer

Heat transfer between the human body and its environment occurs through four main mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant heat.

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I

Just as interesting as the effects of heat transfer on a system are the methods by which the heat transfer occur. Whenever there is a temperature difference, heat transfer occurs. It may occur rapidly, such as through a cooking pan, or slowly, such as through the walls of a picnic ice box. So many processes involve heat transfer that it is hard to imagine a situation where no heat transfer occurs. Yet, every heat transfer takes place by only three methods: conduction, convection, and radiation.

Elastic Strain Energy for Shearing Stresses

Elastic Strain Energy for Shearing Stresses

As discussed in previous lessons, strain energy in a material is the energy stored when it is elastically deformed, a concept crucial in materials science and mechanical engineering. This energy results from the internal work done against the cohesive forces within the material. When a material undergoes shearing stress and corresponding shearing strain, the strain energy density, which is the energy stored per unit volume, is calculated. Within the elastic limit, where the stress is...

Mechanism of heat transfer

Mechanism of heat transfer

Understanding heat transfer mechanisms is essential for understanding how our bodies maintain balance in different environmental conditions. When the environment is thermoneutral, the body is in a state of balance, neither using nor releasing energy to maintain its core temperature. However, when the environment is not thermoneutral, the body employs four heat transfer mechanisms to maintain homeostasis: conduction, convection, evaporation, and radiation. These mechanisms facilitate heat...

Elastic Collisions: Introduction

Elastic Collisions: Introduction

An elastic collision is one that conserves both internal kinetic energy and momentum. Internal kinetic energy is the sum of the kinetic energies of the objects in a system. Truly elastic collisions can only be achieved with subatomic particles, such as electrons striking nuclei. Macroscopic collisions can be very nearly, but not quite, elastic, as some kinetic energy is always converted into other forms of energy such as heat transfer due to friction and sound. An example of a nearly...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Role of transfer films and interfacial cracking in metallic sliding wear.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026

Same author

Surface separation in elastoplastic contacts.

Physical review. E·2026

Same author

Multiscale contact mechanics for elastoplastic contacts.

Physical review. E·2026

Same author

Rubber friction: Theory, mechanisms, and challenges.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025

Same author

Technology to support bonding when separated at birth: A narrative review.

Journal of neonatal-perinatal medicine·2025

Same author

Friction dynamics: displacement fluctuations during sliding friction.

Soft matter·2025

Same journal

Beyond confinement: conformational memory and the continuing legacy of Reiter and de Gennes in polymer films.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2026

Same journal

Variational modeling and numerical simulations for evaporating thin droplets and coffee-ring effect.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2026

Same journal

What is active wetting?

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2026

Same journal

Metallic microresonator spectral modes with inhomogeneously twisted nematic in magnetic field.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2026

Same journal

Perspective on the paper: GDR MiDi. On dense granular flows.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2026

Same journal

Dynamics of a three-dimensional oil drop driven by a surface acoustic wave over topography.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials

Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials

Published on: January 26, 2014

Heat transfer between elastic solids with randomly rough surfaces.

A I Volokitin¹, B Lorenz, B N J Persson

¹IFF, FZ-Jülich, Germany.

The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter

|February 23, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study investigates heat transfer between rough elastic solids, considering both contact and non-contact areas. It highlights nanoscale contact effects and the significance of evanescent wave radiation for smooth surfaces.

More Related Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Published on: December 2, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials

Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials

Published on: January 26, 2014

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Published on: December 2, 2022

Area of Science:

Solid mechanics
Heat transfer
Surface physics

Background:

Understanding heat transfer across interfaces of elastic solids with rough surfaces is crucial for many engineering applications.
Existing models often simplify surface topography and contact mechanics, potentially overlooking key heat transfer mechanisms.
The hierarchical nature of surface roughness across multiple length scales presents a complex challenge for accurate modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate heat transfer mechanisms between elastic solids with randomly rough surfaces.
To incorporate a recently developed contact mechanics theory that accounts for hierarchical surface roughness.
To analyze heat transfer in both real contact areas and non-contact regions, including nanoscale contact effects and radiative transfer.

Main Methods:

Application of a hierarchical contact mechanics theory for elastic solids.
Analysis of heat transfer through the area of real contact, considering atomic-scale regions.
Evaluation of heat transfer in non-contact regions, focusing on radiative transfer via evanescent electromagnetic waves for small interfacial separations.

Main Results:

The real contact area at the atomic resolution consists of nanometer-sized regions, impacting heat transfer.
For very smooth surfaces, small interfacial separations in non-contact regions lead to significant radiative heat transfer.
Evanescent electromagnetic waves play a critical role in heat transfer for closely spaced, smooth surfaces.

Conclusions:

Accurate modeling of heat transfer between rough elastic solids requires considering hierarchical surface topography and nanoscale contact effects.
Radiative heat transfer via evanescent waves is essential for smooth surfaces with minimal separation.
The developed framework provides a more comprehensive understanding of interfacial heat transfer in engineering applications.