Thermal Energy Vocab

Front

A material that conducts heat well.

Back

Conductor: A substance that allows heat to flow through it easily.

Front

The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.

Back

Radiation: The process of transferring energy through space without the need for a medium.

Front

The expansion of matter when heated.

Back

Thermal Expansion: The increase in volume of a substance due to an increase in temperature.

Front

The total kinetic energy and potential energy of all the particles of an object.

Back

Thermal Energy: The energy that comes from the temperature of matter.

Front

Transfer of heat between two objects in direct contact.

Back

Conduction: The process of heat transfer through direct contact of particles.

Front

The movement of heat through fluids (liquids and gases) caused by the movement of the fluid itself.

Back

Convection: The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid.

Front

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Back

Specific Heat: A property that indicates how much heat energy is needed to change the temperature of a substance.

Front

The measure of how hot or cold something is, typically measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Back

Temperature: A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.

Front

The principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Back

Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy in a closed system remains constant.

Front

The process of heat transfer through electromagnetic waves, such as sunlight warming the Earth.

Back

Radiation: A method of heat transfer that does not require a medium.