Thermal energy and temperature (differences)

THERMAL ENERGY AND TEMPERATURE (DIFFERENCES)
Introduction:
Thermal energy: soft energy. Total energy of motion of particles in a system.
Temperature: the somaticsensation of cold or heat. The degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity).
Hypothesis:
This is a sample pagefrom the course "Temperature and Heat" -- an online course (or professional development opportunity) for elementary and middle school teachers. Copyright 2002 J. P.Straley and S. A. Shafer
How energy is related to temperature
When we add some thermal energy to an object, what happens to it? In most cases it is directly detectableas a small increase in temperature (the exception is during a change in phase). The energy is present in the form of the kinetic energy of the tiny rapid motions ofatoms and molecules. In the case of a gas, for which the molecules are far apart, kinetic energy is practically the only form the energy can take. In this case, there isa simple and direct relationship between the energy added, the temperature rise, and the number of atoms.
In a solid or a liquid thermal energy has several forms:The atoms are vibrating back and forth, so they have kinetic energy; but as they move they also are bumping into each other, which involves other kinds of energy. Therelationship between energy and temperature is now more complicated, but it is still true that the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of something isproportional to the size of the temperature increase and to the amount of stuff present.

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