Which process describes heat transfer through fluid movement?

Prepare for the Engineering Utilities 2 - Mechanical Exam. Enhance your skills with multiple choice questions, flashcards, and in-depth explanations. Ace your exam!

The process that describes heat transfer through fluid movement is convection. Convection occurs when warmer areas of a fluid rise while cooler areas sink, creating a circulation pattern that transfers heat. This is commonly observed in liquids and gases, where the motion of the fluid plays a critical role in distributing thermal energy.

Unlike conduction, which involves heat transfer through direct contact between materials without any movement of the material itself, convection relies on the physical movement of the fluid to transfer heat. Radiation, on the other hand, involves the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves and does not require a medium for heat transfer—meaning it can occur even in a vacuum. Absorption refers to the process wherein materials take in energy, but it is not a specific mode of heat transfer like convection. Thus, convection is distinctly characterized by the movement of fluids, making it the correct answer for this question.

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