What type of heating is indicated by a flameless burner that is warm to the touch?

The type of heating indicated by a flameless burner that is warm to the touch is conduction. Conduction is the process of heat transfer through direct contact between materials. When the surface of the flameless burner becomes warm, it heats adjacent surfaces by direct contact, which is characteristic of conduction.

In this case, the heat from the burner is transmitted to whatever is directly touching it, causing those materials to also become warm. This principle is commonly seen in stovetops, where a pot or pan heating up after being placed on the burner demonstrates conduction at work.

While convection involves the transfer of heat through fluids (liquids or gases) and is not applicable here because there is no need for a fluid medium, radiation involves the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves, which typically does not require contact and would not result in a surface being warm solely from radiative heat. Induction heating, by contrast, heats cookware directly through electromagnetic induction, which requires compatible materials (like ferrous metals) to work effectively, and does not produce warmth on the burner itself.