What type of heat transfer occurs when boiling water cooks vegetables?

When boiling water cooks vegetables, convection is the predominant type of heat transfer occurring. This process involves the movement of heat through the motion of liquids or gases, where warmer, less dense fluid rises while cooler, denser fluid sinks, creating a circular motion. In the case of boiling water, the heat from the stove warms the water, causing it to become less dense and rise. As it rises, it displaces the cooler water above it, resulting in the flow of water and heat throughout the pot. This movement effectively transfers heat to the vegetables, cooking them evenly and efficiently.

Conduction, while it does play a role in transferring heat directly from the pot to the water, is not the primary mechanism in this scenario since the vegetables are directly exposed to the convecting water rather than sitting in direct contact with the hot surface. Radiation, on the other hand, involves heat transfer through electromagnetic waves and does not significantly contribute to the cooking process in this context. Induction refers to the process of heating via electromagnetic fields, which is not applicable once the water is boiling and cooking the vegetables. Thus, convection is the key mode of heat transfer in this cooking method.