[Physics] Is heat from a stovetop, transfered through convection, radiation or conduction

Question

It doesn't appear to be convection, as there are no moving objects (or are there); probably not radiation, so it is conduction?

I am confused because it seems that the molecules in the stove does not move and therefore don't conduct.

Answer 1

When you put the pot on the stove, the heat from the stove is somehow getting to the pot, which gets hot.

1. The pot and the stove are obviously in contact with each other. Therefore conduction plays a role here. If you have an old pot, with a warped bottom, it will heat up slower, because the contact surface between pot and stove is smaller.
2. When you hold your hand over the stove (not touching it), you can feel the heat. The air above the stove is heated and because it is a gas, moves upward. This is convection. The bottom of the pot and the surface of the stove are not 100% flat. That's why there will be little pockets of air underneath the pot, even if you place it on the stove.
3. If you heat up the stove as much as you can, it will glow red. This is a visible sign of radiation. I'd assume that even if not visibly glowing, the stove radiates heat, too. In those areas where the stove and the bottom of the pot are not in contact, radiation transports heat from the stove to the heat.

As you can see, all 3 kinds of heat transfer are involved. Conduction certainly does the most part, which is why you want to have pots with flat bottoms, to make best contact with the stove.