What does the flow of heat in conduction rely on?

The flow of heat in conduction primarily relies on the temperature difference between materials, which causes heat to transfer from the hotter region to the cooler one. In conduction, heat transfer occurs through molecular interactions in solids where the atoms or molecules are not free to move, as they would be in fluids. Instead, they transfer kinetic energy to their neighboring molecules through direct contact.

While the vibration of stationary molecules is a part of the conduction process, it is not the defining factor that governs how heat moves from one place to another. The driving force behind conduction is the temperature difference; it is this difference that causes the molecules at the higher temperature (which vibrate more vigorously) to transfer energy to the less energetic, cooler molecules.

The options related to the movement of fluids and radiative energy are not applicable to conduction since those refer to other forms of heat transfer—convection and radiation, respectively. Thus, the most accurate understanding of heat conduction identifies the crucial role of temperature difference, which directly influences the rate and direction of heat flow in conductive materials.