Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) G3 Practice Exam

How do infrared and tube heaters transfer heat?

1. Conduction

2. Radiation

3. Convection

4. A latent process

The correct answer is: Radiation

Infrared and tube heaters transfer heat primarily through the process of radiation. This means they emit thermal energy in the form of infrared radiation, which can travel through the air and directly warm the surfaces it strikes. This method of heat transfer does not rely on the movement of air or any physical medium; instead, it allows for efficient heating of objects and people in the vicinity, often without needing to heat the air itself significantly. In contrast, conduction would involve direct contact between materials to transfer heat, which is not how these types of heaters operate. Convection relies on the movement of air, where warmer air rises and cooler air sinks, creating a circulation that distributes heat, but infrared and tube heaters provide immediate warmth to objects directly in their line of sight rather than circulating air. A latent process refers to energy changes that do not result in a temperature change, such as phase changes (like melting or boiling), which is also not applicable to the heating mechanism of infrared and tube heaters.