Is a cup of hot tea convection?

* Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases).

* When you heat water to make tea, the water at the bottom of the cup heats up first. This hot water becomes less dense and rises.

* As the hot water rises, it displaces cooler water near the surface, which then sinks to the bottom to be heated. This continuous cycle of hot water rising and cool water sinking creates a convection current within the cup.

* This convection process ensures that the entire cup of tea gets heated evenly.

So, while you might feel the heat from the teacup radiating towards your hand (radiation), the process of the water becoming hot is primarily driven by convection.