Why does a whole pan of soup get hot even if you stir it?

This is a great question! Here's why a pan of soup gets hot even when you stir it:

* Heat Conduction: The heat from the stove or burner is transferred to the bottom of the pot. This hot metal then transfers heat to the soup directly in contact with it. As the soup molecules near the bottom heat up, they bump into their neighbors, transferring energy and causing them to heat up too. This process continues throughout the entire soup.

* Convection: Stirring actually *helps* the process of convection. Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids. When you stir, you create currents within the soup. The hot soup near the bottom rises, while the cooler soup on top sinks to take its place. This creates a cycle where heat is constantly being distributed throughout the soup.

In short, the combination of heat conduction and convection, aided by stirring, results in the entire pan of soup getting hot.