Temperature Notes

Heat

A form of energy

Measured in calories or joules

There is no "coldness" energy

Any object with temperature above zero kelvin has energy

Temperature

Avg. kinetic energy of the particles

Measured in C, F, K

"Hot" and "Cold" are relative terms

Absolute zero is zero kelvin

Heat Transfer

Conduction - Requires direct contact or tarticle to particle transfer of energy; usualy occurs in solids

Convection - heat moves in currents; hot air rises and cold air falls; only occurs in fluids

Radiation - heat waves travel through empty space, no matter needed; sun

Thermal Equilibrium

A system is in thermal equilibrium when all of its parts are at the same temperature

Heat transfers only from high to low temperatures and only until thermal equilibrium is reached

Thermodynamics

The study of changes in thermal properties in matter

Follows Law of Conservation of Energy

1st Law - the total increase in the thermal energy of a system is the sum of the work done on it and the heat added to it

2nd Law - natural processes tend to increase the total entropy (disorder) of the universe.