Why does an induction hob heat the pan?
The glass surface is not the main heater. A changing magnetic field transfers energy into a suitable pan.
What is happening?
An alternating current flows through a coil beneath the cooking surface. Its changing magnetic field induces electrical currents in conductive cookware. Electrical resistance then turns part of that electrical energy into heat inside the pan itself.
Look inside the object
Cookware must interact effectively with the magnetic field. Ferromagnetic steels and cast iron generally work well; some stainless steels do and some do not. A simple magnet test is useful because the base construction matters more than the pan's colour or appearance.
What this object teaches us
The glass can still become hot because it touches the hot pan, but that is secondary heating. Induction is a neat chain of energy transformations: alternating current, magnetic field, induced current, then thermal energy where the cooking actually happens.