How does the temperature difference affect heat flow?

Heat flow is fundamentally driven by the temperature difference between two bodies or systems. According to the principle of thermodynamics, heat naturally moves from areas of higher temperature to areas of lower temperature. Therefore, when there is a significant temperature difference, the rate of heat transfer increases.

The greater the temperature disparity, the more energetic the molecules in the hotter area become and the more they collide with the cooler molecules, facilitating a faster rate of heat exchange. This principle is often expressed in Fourier's law of heat conduction, which states that the heat transfer rate is proportional to the temperature difference between the two bodies.

This means that as the temperature difference increases, so does the thermal driving force, resulting in a more rapid flow of heat until thermal equilibrium is reached. Thus, the statement that the greater the temperature difference, the more rapid the heat flows, accurately reflects the physical law governing heat transfer.