Temperature, Heat, and Expansion

15.1 Temperature

Temperature is a quantity related to the random motion of particles in a substance

Temperature is proportional to the ==average translational KE== of random molecular motion. Molecules may also rotate or vibrate with KE, but those motions aren’t translational; they don’t define temperature

  • Celsius - calibrated according to water
    • 0 C: water freezes
    • 100 C: water boils (at sea level atmospheric pressure)
    • F = (9/5)C + 32
  • Kelvin - calibrated according to energy (favored by scientists)
    • 0 K: absolute zero, substance has no kinetic energy
    • K = C + 273.15

 Particles move in different ways. Temperature is only defined by translational motion


15.2 Heat

When a hot object (A) touches a cold object (B), energy begins to transfer from A to B, making object A cooler and object B warmer.

Heat is the flow energy due to temperature difference

  • Matter cannot contain heat
  • Heat is ==energy in motion==
    • once the transfer is complete and the energy is stationary, the stationary energy is called internal energy

Internal Energy is the total of all the energies inside a substance

  • translational KE + rotational KE + vibrational KE + potential energy
  • When a substance absorbs heat, the internal energy increases.

When 2 items are in contact: heat moves from higher temperature to lower temperature

Units of Heat

Typically, energy is measured in Joules

  • %%Joules = Nm = (kg*m^2)/(s^2)%%
    • * = a multiplication sign

Calories are more commonly used in the US

calorieCalorie (kilocalorie)
the amount of heat needed to increase the temp of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsiusthe amount of heat needed to increase the temp of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius
1 calorie = 4.19 joulesThis is what we use when we label food

15.3 Specific Heat Capacity

Imagine heating a bowl of soup and toasting a piece of bread. After a while, the bread is cold while the soup is still warm. Why?

They have different capacities for storing internal energy.

  • different materials require different amounts of heat to raise the temperature

specific heat capacity (J/(g K)) is the quantity of heat required to change the temperature of 1g of a substance by 1-celsius degree

Q = cmΔT

the quantity of heat Q (J) transferred when a mass m (g) of a substance undergoes a change in temperature ΔT (K) is specific heat capacity x mass x temperature change.


15.4 High Specific Capacity of Water

water has a much higher specific heat capacity than most materials

  • small amounts of water can absorb a lot of heat with only a small rise in temperature
  • water takes a long time to cool and warm

Water’s ability to @@resist temperature change@@ improves the climate in many locations


15.5 Thermal Expansion

Temp IncreasesTemp Decreases
particles move faster and move farther apartparticles slow down and become more compact
the substance expandsthe substance contracts
  • Liquids expand more than solids

Expansion of water