TEKS 7.8C Temperature and Kinetic Energy

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to temperature, kinetic energy, thermal energy, and thermal expansion.

Temperature

The average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.

Thermal Energy

The total kinetic energy of the particles in an object or system.

Fahrenheit

A temperature scale where a degree is smaller than on the Celsius or Kelvin scale.

Celsius Scale

A temperature scale based on pure water freezing at 0ºC and boiling at 100ºC.

Absolute Zero

The theoretical lowest temperature possible, equivalent to 0 K or -273.15ºC.

Thermal Expansion

The phenomenon where an object increases in size as its temperature increases due to particle spacing.

Contraction

The phenomenon where an object decreases in size as its temperature decreases due to particle spacing.