The process of transferring heat through a medium is called conduction when it occurs via direct contact between materials. In conduction, heat flows from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature through molecular interactions. This process is significant in solids, particularly metals, which are good conductors of heat. Additionally, conduction is a vital concept in thermodynamics and materials science, impacting applications such as thermal insulation and heat exchangers by determining how effectively heat is transferred between substances.