What is conduction?

Conduction refers specifically to the process of heat transfer that occurs through direct molecular agitation. In this process, thermal energy is transferred from one molecule to neighboring molecules without the movement of the material as a whole. When a substance is heated, its molecules vibrate more quickly and collide with adjacent molecules, transferring some of their energy to those molecules. This transfer of energy from the warmer region to the cooler region continues until thermal equilibrium is reached.

This understanding emphasizes the direct nature of conduction, distinguishing it from other forms of heat transfer like convection or radiation, where the mechanisms involve bulk movement or electromagnetic waves, respectively. The other options describe different concepts that do not accurately define conduction. For example, movement of materials relates to processes like convection, potential energy conversion discusses stored energy rather than heat transfer, and the conversion of thermal energy into kinetic energy describes a transformation rather than the mechanism of heat transfer itself.