If you touch a hot ceramic mug, what type of heat transfer is occurring?

When you touch a hot ceramic mug, conduction is the type of heat transfer taking place. Conduction occurs when heat is transferred through direct contact between materials. In this case, the heat from the mug is transferred to your skin through the direct contact of your fingers with the mug's surface, causing the sensation of heat.

Heat transfer by conduction happens in solids where particles are tightly packed together, allowing them to collide and pass on thermal energy efficiently. This is why you can feel the heat immediately upon touching the mug.

In contrast, radiation refers to the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves, which does not require a medium. Convection involves the transfer of heat by the movement of fluids (liquids or gases), where warmer parts rise and cooler parts sink, creating a circulation pattern; this would not apply to touching the mug directly. Insulation pertains to materials that slow down heat transfer, which is not relevant to the action of touching a hot item.