Heat Within an Object - Animation

#heat #energy #ngscience #ngs

What Is Thermal Energy?
All matter is made up of tiny particles. Whether matter is in a solid, liquid or gas, these particles are always in motion. How much these particles move is called thermal energy.

The more thermal energy matter has, the higher its temperature. Temperature is how hot or cold matter is. It is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in matter. The faster the particles mover, the greater the temperature.

When matter gains thermal energy, the particles that make up the matter move faster. Its thermal energy increases and its temperature also increases. When matter loses thermal energy, the particles that make up the matter move slower. Its thermal energy decreases and its temperature decreases.

So how does matter gain thermal energy? The movement of thermal energy is called heat. Heat occurs whenever there is difference in temperature.

Let’s look at an example of the heat that occurs when a hot object comes in contact with a cold object. In both objects, the particles are moving – they have kinetic energy. When the objects are touching, their particles collide with each other. As they collide, the hot object passes energy to the cold object. The hot object gets cooler and the cold object gets warmer. Heat will continue to move in this way until the temperature of both objects is equal.

When you place a cold metal spoon into a hot cup of tea, energy moves from the hot tea to the spoon. The tea loses thermal energy and gets cooler. The spoon gains thermal energy and gets hotter. The metal spoon will continue to gain thermal energy from the hot tea until the temperature of the tea and the spoon are equal.

Just as heat moves from hot to cold between objects, it also moves in this way within objects. Let’s look at an example of placing a metal rod over a fire. The heat from the fire will cause the particles at the tip of the rod to gain thermal energy and its temperature increases. These particles then collide with the particles adjacent to them. In this way, heat in transferred from the hot region to the cold region of the metal rod.

[Austin_crakx]

Even more clarity on heat transfer with second order differential equations.