Fourier’s Law is known as the law of heat conduction

Fourier’s Law is known as the law of heat conduction

Fourier’s Law is known as the law of heat conduction. Conduction refers to the transfer of heat (or internal energy) through direct contact which takes place in all 3 phases: solid, liquid, and gas. It is also a rate equation which determines the conduction heat flux from the temperature distribution in a medium. Heat will always flow from a region of higher concentrated energy to a region of lower concentrated energy and the heat transfer is in the direction of decreasing temperate. For example, a beaker of water at room temperature is placed on a hotplate. The heat transfer is in the direction from the surface of the hotplate to the bottom of the beaker. There is a temperature difference between the hotplate and the bottom of the beaker. However, this temperature difference decays over time and as a result, the thermal equilibrium is achieved.