Key Concepts from Texas History Lecture

Thermal Energy Vocab List

Temperature- a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance

Thermal Equilibrium - when all objects in a system are at the same temperature

Thermogram - visual representation of heat patterns on a surface

Gas - state of matter that holds the most energy

Potential Energy - energy an object has due to its position

Kinetic Energy - Energy of motion

Open System- Can exchange energy with environment

Closed System- can only exchange energy 

Geothermal - Energy transferred between house and ground

Radiation - transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves

Thermal Energy - sum of kinetic and potential energy in particles

Convection- circulation of particles within a material caused by differences  in thermal energy and density

System- collection of objects that interact in some way

Heat - movement of thermal energy from a warmer to a colder object

Conduction - transfer  of thermal energy  between two objects that are touching