What thermal mechanism involves heat exchange by direct contact with another surface?

The thermal mechanism that involves heat exchange by direct contact with another surface is conduction. This process occurs when two surfaces at different temperatures come into contact, allowing heat to flow from the warmer object to the cooler one until thermal equilibrium is reached. Conduction is particularly significant in solids, where the tightly packed molecules can transfer kinetic energy quickly through direct interactions.

For example, when you place a metal spoon in a hot pot of soup, heat travels from the soup (the warmer object) to the spoon (the cooler object) due to conduction, making the spoon feel warm. This contrasts with convection, which involves heat transfer through the movement of fluids, and radiation, which is the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves without direct contact. Evaporation is a cooling process where liquid turns into vapor and does not involve heat transfer through contact.