In which of these situations is convection most likely the main form of heat transfer?

Warm air from a heater on the first floor of a house moves to the upper floors.

The sides of a metal pan become hot when the pan is placed on a stove burner.

A person gets a sunburn from lying on the beach too long.

An ice cube melts when a person holds it in his hand.****

The situation in which convection is most likely the main form of heat transfer is when warm air from a heater on the first floor of a house moves to the upper floors.

In this case, the situation where convection is most likely the main form of heat transfer is:

Warm air from a heater on the first floor of a house moves to the upper floors.

To understand why this is the correct answer, let's first briefly explain the concept of convection. Convection is a type of heat transfer that occurs through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases). It happens when there is a temperature difference within the fluid, causing warmer portions to rise and cooler portions to sink, creating a cyclical flow.

Now, let's analyze the other options to see why they are not predominantly examples of convection:

1. The sides of a metal pan become hot when the pan is placed on a stove burner: This is an example of conduction, not convection. Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct contact between two objects or substances.

2. A person gets a sunburn from lying on the beach too long: This situation involves the transfer of heat by radiation. The sun emits electromagnetic radiation in the form of heat, which is absorbed by the person's skin.

3. An ice cube melts when a person holds it in his hand: This is also an example of heat transfer through conduction. The warmth from the person's hand is directly transferred to the colder ice, causing it to melt.

Therefore, based on the given options, the correct answer is that the situation where convection is most likely the main form of heat transfer is when warm air from a heater on the first floor of a house moves to the upper floors.

Convection is heat transfer by mass motion of a fluid such as air or water when the heated fluid is caused to move away from the source of heat, carrying energy with it. Convection above a hot surface occurs because hot air expands, becomes less dense, and rises. Hope this helps!