1) Heat transfer by conduction occurs due to random molecular motion within a material. The rate of heat transfer by conduction is proportional to the temperature gradient and the thermal conductivity of the material.
2) Fourier's law of heat conduction describes conduction in Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinate systems. It relates the heat flux to the temperature gradient through the thermal conductivity.
3) The heat equation can be derived by applying the law of conservation of energy combined with Fourier's law. It describes the distribution of temperature as a function of time and space within a body undergoing transient or steady-state heat conduction.