We defined heat as the form of energy that can be transferred from one system to another as a result of temperature difference. A thermodynamic analysis is concerned with the amount of heat transfer as a system undergoes a process from one equilibrium state to another. The science that deals with the determination of the rates of such energy transfers is the science of heat transfer. The transfer of energy as heat is always from the higher-temperature medium to the lower-temperature one, and heat transfer stops when the two media reach the same temperature.

Three modes of heat transfer: