Physical Science: Heat
It is reasonable to suggest that just about everyone has felt the warmth of the sun or warmed themselves by a fireside, but many people may not understand the source of the energy they are feeling, particularly at the molecular level. Without heat, though, humankind would soon cease to exist and the universe would quickly collapse into an absolute zero nothingness. To gain some further insights into this essential source of life, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature to define heat and temperature, the relationship between them, and how they are different. A discussion concerning the various properties of a substance that determine its heat capacity is followed by a description of some of the various sources of heat. Finally, an analysis concerning how the study of heat relates to the kinetic theory of matter is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.
Review and Analysis
What is heat?
Interestingly, heat is not static energy but rather by definition is moving from a hotter object to a cooler object. For instance, according to Nave (2005). "Heat may be defined as energy in transit from a high temperature object to a lower temperature object" (para. 1). Because heat is always in transit, it is also differentiated from heat produced from an object's internal energy. In this regard, Nave adds that, "An object does not possess 'heat'; the appropriate term for the microscopic energy in an object is internal energy. The internal energy may be increased by transferring energy to the object from a higher temperature (hotter) object - this is properly called heating" (Nave, 2005, para. 2).
What is temperature?
Temperature is a measure of hotness, or...
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