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Insulation
Insulation is one of the most important components of a well heated home. This is due to the concept of thermal equilibrium. In the absence of any external effects, a system made of parts of different temperatures will all become one single temperature. This is due to atomic scale interactions between atoms. "Two thermally interacting systems reach a common final temperature because they exchange energy via collisions until the atoms on each side have, on average equal translation kinetic energies." (1) Although it is impossible to completely stop this process, insulation is useful because it slows the process down significantly. This helps with both heating and cooling a house and is important in warm climates as well as cold ones. Common forms of insulation are generally lightweight materials that conduct heat very poorly. Insulation is placed in walls, attics, and below floors. The more insulation installed, the easier and cheaper it is to maintain a room temperature inside of a house. |
