Thermal Energy and Heat Transfer Concepts

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What is thermal energy?

Back

Thermal energy is the total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance, which is related to its temperature.

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What is heat transfer?

Back

Heat transfer is the movement of thermal energy from one object or substance to another due to a temperature difference.

Front

What are the three main methods of heat transfer?

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The three main methods of heat transfer are conduction, convection, and radiation.

Front

What is conduction?

Back

Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct contact between materials, where heat moves from the hotter object to the cooler one.

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What is convection?

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Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases) caused by differences in temperature and density.

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What is radiation?

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Radiation is the transfer of heat in the form of electromagnetic waves, such as infrared radiation, and does not require a medium.

Front

How does heat move between objects?

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Heat moves from an area of high temperature to an area of low temperature.

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What happens to thermal energy when a hot object is placed in a cooler environment?

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The thermal energy of the hot object decreases as it transfers heat to the cooler environment.

Front

What is the effect of temperature on molecular motion?

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As temperature increases, the molecular motion of a substance increases, leading to higher thermal energy.

Front

What is an example of conduction in everyday life?

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An example of conduction is touching a metal spoon that has been sitting in a hot pot of soup; the heat transfers from the soup to the spoon.