NATE HVAC Support Technician Practice Test 2026 - Free HVAC Technician Practice Questions and Study Guide

Conduction is heat transfer through direct contact between substances, where energy moves from regions of higher temperature to regions of lower temperature by molecular interactions. When a hot object touches a cooler one, the faster-moving particles in the hot area collide with cooler particles, transferring some of their energy. This transfer propagates through the material and continues until temperatures even out. In solids, the process occurs mainly through vibrations of the lattice, and in metals, free electrons also carry energy quickly, making metals good conductors. This mechanism happens without bulk movement of the material itself, unlike convection, which relies on moving fluids, or radiation, which transfers heat via electromagnetic waves.