Heat and Temperature Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the concepts of heat and temperature, including definitions and examples.

Temperature

The measure of how much energy molecules have and the average amount of kinetic energy in a material.

Heat

The transfer of energy between the particles in an object or thermal energy that is moving.

Conduction

The transfer of heat through direct contact between objects.

Convection

The movement of warm fluids or gases, where heated fluid becomes less dense, expands, and rises.

Radiation

Transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves without physical contact.

Insulators

Materials that slow down heat transfer and are poor conductors, such as rubber or wood.

Conductors

Materials through which energy is easily transferred, usually solid metals.

Specific Heat Capacity

The ability of a material to absorb and release heat, measured as energy needed to raise 1 g of a material by 1 degree Celsius.

Absolute Zero

The theoretical temperature at which all molecular motion stops, defined as 0 K or -273.13 °C.

Endothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that absorbs heat from the environment.

Exothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases heat to the environment.

Joule

The metric unit measuring heat, also used for gravitational potential energy (GPE) and kinetic energy (KE).

Thermometers

Devices that expand as temperature increases and contract as temperature decreases to measure temperature.

Kelvin

The SI unit for measuring temperature where 0 K is absolute zero.

Celsius

Also known as Centigrade; a temperature scale where water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C.

Fahrenheit

A temperature scale where water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F.

Laws of Thermodynamics

Principles governing energy transfer, including the conservation of energy and the direction of heat flow.