HEAT

Heat

Heat

How does the study of heat relate to the kinetic theory of matter?

According to the kinetic theory of matter, matter is made up of tiny particles- atoms or molecules. The particles are always moving, and they move in a number of ways. They rotate, vibrate, and move in straight lines between collisions. The energy that atoms and molecules have relates to their motion and their position. They have translational kinetic energy due to their translational (straight line) motion as well as rotational and vibrational kinetic energy. Also, the particles have potential energy form the attractions between them or form their mutual repulsion when they are at close range. The total internal of kinetic energy all these forms of energy in a particular substance is thermal energy (Cunningham, 2009).

The temperature of an object or collection of matter is the average kinetic energy of the particles. Faster particles mean a higher temperature. A thermometer is used to measure the temperature and put it into temperature degrees instead of kinetic energy units. The heat is the transfer of thermal energy from an object of higher temperature to one of lower temperature. For example, an object feels warm or hot if its temperature is higher than your skin temperature. The kinetic theory of matter explains heat transfer by conduction, where thermal energy seems to move through a material, warming up cooler areas. This is called heat transfer or heat flow processes not covered in this theory are heat transfer by convection and radiation. Kinetic energy is proportional to the absolute temperature of the material. Absolute temperature is measured in the Kelvin scale. But in general you can say that temperature is the measurement of the average internal kinetic energy of the material or object.

What is heat?

The universe is made up of matter and energy. Matter is made up of atoms and molecules (grouping of atoms) and energy causes the atoms and molecules to always be in motion- either bumping into each other or vibrating back and forth. The motion of atoms and molecules creates a form of energy called hear or thermal energy which is present in all matter. Even in the coldest voids of space, matter still has a very small but still measurable amount of heat energy.

Energy can take on many forms and can change from one form to another. Many different types of energy can be converted into heat energy. Light, electrical, mechanical, chemical, nuclear, sound and thermal energy itself can each cause a substance to heat up by increasing the speed of its molecules. So, put energy into a system and it heats up, take energy away and it cools (Heilbron, 1993).

Heat is the energy an object has because of the movement of its atoms and molecules which are continuously jiggling and moving around, hitting each other and objects. When we add energy to an object, its atoms and molecules moved faster increasing its energy of motion or heat. Even objects which are very cold have some ...