Heat and Temperature Essay Example

Heat and Temperature Essay Example Heat and Temperature Essay Heat and Temperature Essay Heat and Temperature Heat is often described by the average individual as being the change in temperature from hot to cold. â€Å"Often the concepts of heat and temperature are thought to be the same, but they are not. † Heat and Temperature, para. 2) Perhaps the reasoning behind the incorrect reasoning is that humans associate the two together because when heat is applied to an object the temperature rises. The kinetic theory of matter better explains the underlying cause as to what takes place when heat is being examined. To examine the heat capacity of a substance various properties exist, along with different forms of heat. When thought about, everyone has been exposed to heat in some type of way but never even question what has to happen in order to encounter that sensation. The textbook states that â€Å"the term heat is used to describe the â€Å"something† that moves between objects when two objects of different temperatures are brought together. ’ ( Tillery , Bill W. , Enger, Eldon D. , Ross, Fredrick C. p. 82) Temperature on the other hand, can be defined as the degree of hotness or coldness of an object. The two are related due to the fact that heat is energy and temperature is basically a number used to determine the energy given by the molecules within a substance, which directly relates to the kinetic energy. The kinetic theory of matter and heat coincide with each other because the theory states that all materials are made up of either particles, molecules or atoms that are constantly moving. As to which when heat is displayed it is said that thermal energy is being transferred from a higher temperature to a lower one, meaning that particles have basically started to speed up. The idea of heat and temperature may seem very complex, but only because it happens so fast that most individuals do not even have a clue as to what is causing the reaction that they get when they raise the temperature in order to get heat. There are many differences between heat and temperature, though they are related to one another, the concept is totally different. Heat is the movement of energy within a molecule, where as temperature is the measure of the average movement within a molecule. The energy of heat depends upon the speed, type, and number of particles and temperature does not. For instance, you can have a large cup of hot chocolate and small cup of hot chocolate, the temperature of both may be the same but since one contains more than the other the one that contains the most will have more heat and thus more thermal energy. If heat is added then the temperature will rise, if the heat is taken away then the temperature will fall. Also if two objects have different temperatures and they are placed in contact with each other a transfer of energy takes place until they both end up with the same temperature. So the way that they differ is the mere fact that temperature is not energy but a measure of it. Energy is heat. † (Heat versus temperature, 2011, para. 5) Heat capacity is the measure of an objects ability to hold heat. The various properties of a substance that determine its heat capacity is temperature change, mass and substance. Temperature change relates to heat capacity because it deals with the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature. The other aspect that deals with heat capacity is the amount of mass in an object, which is the amount of matter that there is in an object. The bigger the mass of an object is the more heat it would need to lose or gather for the temperature to change. The substance also determines the heat capacity because it’s basically addressing what the object is made out of, and not all things need the same amount of loss or gain of heat to change temperatures. Although these are only properties, there are still various sources of heat. They include conduction, convection and radiation. Conduction is the transfer of solids from the collision of molecules. Convection deals with only liquids and gases moving them from one position to another. Radiation in turn, is the energy that moves through space. Radiant energy unlike conduction and convection does not rely on a heat object or source. To conclude, it is safe to say that heat involves a lot more than what appears to the human eye. Heat and temperature do have a relationship but they are two different aspects of the same matter. The kinetic theory is able to sum up a lot of the misconception that has been learned concerning the two but the things that are not covered can be determined by the roperties and the sources. Overall, heat and temperature are a very interesting topic and although used frequently in day to day life many never take the time to understand it. References http://zonalandeducation. com/mstm/physics/mechanics/energy/heatAndTemperature/heatAndTemperature. html Tillery, Bill W. , Enger, Eldon, D. , Ross, Frederick C. 2009. Integrated Science, Fourth Edition http://coo lcosmos. ipac. caltech. edu/cosmic_classroom/light_lessons/thermal/differ. html