Which of the following is not a method of heat transfer?

Heat transfer occurs primarily through three established methods: conduction, convection, and radiation. Each method describes how heat moves from one place to another based on different principles.

Conduction involves direct contact between materials, where heat moves through a substance from a higher to a lower temperature area, typically occurring in solids. Convection refers to the transfer of heat through fluids (liquids and gases), where warmer areas of a liquid or gas rise while cooler areas sink, creating a circulation pattern that enables heat distribution. Radiation is the transfer of heat in the form of electromagnetic waves, which does not require a medium; instead, it can occur even through the vacuum of space.

Reflection, on the other hand, pertains to the bouncing back of waves or particles when they encounter a surface, and it does not involve the transfer of heat. This process does not change the temperature or energy state of the materials involved, which makes it distinctly different from the mechanisms of heat transfer. Thus, it is identified as not a method of heat transfer.