Heat, Temperature, And Kinetic Theory
The summer sun can make it seem easy to understand the concepts of heat and temperature, at least in a visceral sense, but understanding what these concepts mean and how they interact in the more objective and codified world of physics is another matter entirely. For this, it is necessary first to begin to be far more careful when using the two terms, which are far from interchangeable when used in their strictest sense, as well as to develop an understanding of some of the basic and fundamental features of the physical world as it exists and as it is experienced. The following pages present a brief description and discussion of heat and temperature, and the physical/scientific contexts in which they can be properly understood. Armed with this understanding, one can talk about the temperature with much greater authority and with much greater interest than a mere discussion of climate.
A Kinetic Understanding of Heat and Temperature
There are some different contexts within which heat and temperature can be discussed even within the realm of physics, but typically when heat is mentioned it implies an invocation of the kinetic theory of matter. According to this theory, matter is composed of small particles -- atoms and molecules -- with varying amounts of space between them (NASA, n.d.). Gaseous matter has a great deal of space between the particles of which its made, liquid less so, and solid matter the least, generally speaking, and the particles are also in constant motion constrained by the space allowed in the form -- free-flowing for gases to very fixed for solids (Kurtus, 2011; NASA, n.d.Kurtus, 2011)).
Because all particles that make up mass are in motion, each of these particles clearly possesses some amount of energy; in reality, particles contain several types of energy that can have complex interaction,...
This condition slows down the heating process and also because of convection currents. Land and water have different capacities for absorbing and liberating heat. It is good to note that the specific heat of water is higher than that of land. Hence, water requires more heat than land does to increase its temperature at the same number of degrees. Water, having a higher specific heat, warms up more slowly
' That set point can shift, depending upon environmental influences. For example, if someone is infected, a fever can actually help his or her body survive the disease, as certain kinds of bacteria grow less vigorously at high temperatures. Cytokines attacking the intruders send signals to the hypothalamus to release prostaglandins to 'give' the person a fever. Even if the person moves to a cold room, the fever will persist,
The Temperature in my Hometown: Data For example, Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, showed a great variety in temperature over the course of August 2005. The actual high temperature in degrees Fahrenheit was 97, and the low 63. The normal highs and lows in the month of August in Clifton heights are 88 and 66. This fluctuation means that on very hot days, stores would find it difficult to cool their interiors in
Heat and Temperature Although there is a difference between heat and temperature, the correlation which exists between them is very significant (Campbell, 2009). Temperature is the degree of vibration of particles in a system. High temperature therefore implies a high degree of vibration of particles. Heat is a type of energy which is usually changed into kinetic energy. As long as an object is heated, its temperature will increase. While
temperature and answer questions about this force. Temperature and heat are two different issues. Temperature is how cold or hot air, water or an object is. Heat is the energy which is produced when molecules and atoms are in motion. The amount of energy an object may hold is determined by its shape and size. The main difference between the Kelvin and Celsius scale is Kelvin is used mainly by scientists, while
S. In particular), and Kelvin (generally used by scientists and engineers). Temperature is virtually the measure of the average thermal energy (heat) of the atoms and molecules in a body. The masses are often inclined to believe that there is no difference between heat and temperature. This is most probably because individuals have observed how heat can influence an object's temperature. When a substance is given more heat, it comes to
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