1. Chapter 15 – Section 1

2. What is temperature? Temperature and Thermal Energy 1
When you swim in water, touch a hot pan, or swallow a cold drink, your sense of touch tells you whether something is hot or cold.
However, the words cold, warm, and hot can mean different things to different people.

3. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Temperature
To understand temperature, think of a glass of water sitting on a table.
The water might seem perfectly still, but water is made of molecules that are in constant, random motion.
Because these molecules are always moving, they have energy of motion, or kinetic energy.

4. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Temperature
Temperature is a measure of the average value of the kinetic energy of the molecules in random motion.
The more kinetic energy the molecules have, the higher the temperature.

5. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Temperature
The higher the temperature, the faster the molecules are moving.

6. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Thermal Expansion
When the temperature of an object is increased, its molecules speed up and tend to move farther apart.
This causes the object to expand.

7. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Thermal Expansion
When the object is cooled, its molecules slow down and move closer together.
This causes the object to shrink, or contract.

8. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Thermal Expansion
The amount of expansion or contraction depends on the type of material and the change in temperature.
Liquids usually expand more than solids.

9. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Measuring Temperature
The temperature of an object depends on the average kinetic energy of all the molecules in an object.
It is impossible to measure the kinetic energy of all the individual molecules.

10. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Measuring Temperature
A more practical way to measure temperature is to use a thermometer.
Thermometers usually use the expansion and contraction of materials to measure temperature.

11. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Temperature Scales
To be able to give a number for the temperature, a thermometer has to have a temperature scale.
Two common temperature scales are the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales.

12. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Temperature Scales
On the Fahrenheit scale, the freezing point of water is given the temperature 32°F and the boiling point 212°F.
The Fahrenheit scale is used mainly in the United States.
On the Celsius temperature scale, the freezing point of water is given the temperature 0°C and the boiling point is given the temperature 100°C.

13. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Converting Fahrenheit and Celsius
You can convert temperatures back and forth between the two temperature scales by using the following equations.

14. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
The Kelvin Scale
On this scale, 0 K is the lowest temperature an object can have.
This temperature is known as absolute zero.
You can change from Celsius degrees to Kelvin degrees by adding 273 to the Celsius temperature.

15. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Thermal Energy
Molecules also have potential energy.
Potential energy is energy that the molecules have that can be converted into kinetic energy.
The sum of the kinetic and potential energy of all the molecules in an object is the thermal energy of the object.

16. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
The Potential Energy of Molecules
The molecules in a material exert attractive forces on each other.
As a result, the molecules in a material have potential energy.
As the molecules get closer together or farther apart, their potential energy changes.

17. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Increasing Thermal Energy
Temperature and thermal energy are different.
Suppose you have two glasses filled with the same amount of milk, and at the same temperature.
If you pour both glasses of milk into a pitcher, the temperature of the milk won’t change.

18. Temperature and Thermal Energy1
Increasing Thermal Energy
However, because there are more molecules of milk in the pitcher than in either glass, the thermal energy of the milk in the pitcher is greater than the thermal energy of the milk in either glass.

19. Question 1 Section Check 1
The _______ of a substance depends on how fast its molecules are moving.
A. conduction
B. heat
C. temperature
D. thermal energy

20. Section Check 1
Answer
The answer is C. Temperature is a measure of the average value of the kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance.

21. Question 2 Section Check 1
When temperature increases, the molecules in an object speed up their random motions. This causes the object to _______.
A. contract
B. constrict
C. disintegrate
D. expand

22. Section Check 1
Answer
The answer is D. This effect is known as thermal expansion.

23. Question 3 Answer Section Check 1
The two most common temperature scales are the _______ and the _______ scale.
Answer
The answer is Fahrenheit and Celsius. In science you will also encounter the Kelvin scale.