Conduction is the transport of thermal energy through an object by a series of
collisions between adjacent atoms, molecules, or electrons. If one end of a metal spoon
is held in a pan on a stove, the other end soon becomes hot. The energy from the
stove causes the molecules in the end of the spoon that is in the pan to move faster,
increasing the rate and size of their vibrations. These molecules transfer some of their
extra kinetic energy to neighboring molecules and these, in turn, affect their neighbors.
Therefore, the temperature of the entire spoon increases. If the pan is kept at a
constant temperature, after some time the pan and the spoon will have the same
temperature. No smart person would pick up this spoon without a potholder. The
potholder is a poor conductor of heat and a good thermal insulator.