Energy- Concept 3- Thermal Energy

Thermal Energy

• Is the sum of Kinetic and Potential Energy of the particles of an object

Increases as mass and temperature increases

Temperature

• A measure of the average kinetic energy of particles in a object

So the faster the particles are moving, the faster the temperature

How Thermal Energy moves

• Heat- the transfer of energy from one object to another, is measured in joules

• Thermal energy will move from higher temperature objects to lower temperature objects

  -Example: when you’re holding an ice cube, because you hand has a higher temperature than the ice cube, heat from your hand will flow to the ice cube, making you feel cold

Types of Heat Transfer

• Conduction- movement of particles by direct contact

  -Example would be the ice cube scenario we talked about earlier

• Convection- transfer of energy by the movement of heated particles

  -Example would be energy transferred with a tea kettle

• Radiation- transfer of energy with electromagnetic waves

  -Example would be heat energy from the sun

Thermal Conductors and Insulators

• Thermal Conductors- materials that allow heat to flow through easily

  -Example of thermal conductors are metal and skin

• Thermal Insulators- materials that don’t allow heat to flow through easily

  -Example of thermal insulators are plastic and wood

Specific Heat

• Is the minimum amount of heat required to change the temperature of an object

Formula for calculating Specific Heat is Thermal energy/ Mass*(Final temperature - Initial temperature)