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Energy and Temperature

The document explains the kinetic-molecular theory of heat, which states that matter is composed of tiny particles in motion, and heat flows from hot to cold objects through conduction. It distinguishes between heat, the total kinetic energy of molecules, and temperature, the average kinetic energy, and discusses temperature scales including Celsius and Kelvin. Additionally, it provides formulas for converting between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin temperatures.

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11 views4 pages

Energy and Temperature

The document explains the kinetic-molecular theory of heat, which states that matter is composed of tiny particles in motion, and heat flows from hot to cold objects through conduction. It distinguishes between heat, the total kinetic energy of molecules, and temperature, the average kinetic energy, and discusses temperature scales including Celsius and Kelvin. Additionally, it provides formulas for converting between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin temperatures.

Uploaded by

amarmayig19
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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In the mid-19th century, scientists devised a theory to explain heat.

The new theory was


based on the assumption that matter is made up of tiny particles that are always in motion.
In a hot object, the particles move faster and therefore have greater kinetic energy. The
theory is called the kinetic-molecular theory and is the accepted theory of heat. Just as a
cricket ball has a certain amount of kinetic energy due to its mass and velocity, each
molecule has a certain amount of kinetic energy due to its mass and velocity. Adding up
the kinetic energy of all the molecules in an object yields the thermal energy of the object.

When a hot object and a cold object touch each other, the molecules of the objects collide
along the surface where they touch. When higher kinetic energy molecules collide with
lower kinetic energy molecules, kinetic energy is passed from the molecules with more
kinetic energy to those with less kinetic energy. In this way, heat always flows from hot to
cold and heat will continue to flow until the two objects have the same temperature. The
movement of heat from one object to another by molecular collision is called conduction.

Heat is the energy that flows as a result of a difference in temperature. We use the
symbol for heat. Heat, like all forms of energy, is measured in joules.

The temperature of an object is a measurement of the average kinetic energy of all the
molecules of the object. You should note the difference between heat and temperature.
Heat is the sum of all the kinetic energies of all the molecules of an object, while
temperature is the average kinetic energy of the molecules of an object. If an object was
composed of exactly three molecules and the kinetic energies of the three molecules are
50 J, 70 J, and 90 J, the heat would be 210 J and the temperature would be 70 J.

The terms hot and cold refer to temperature. A hot object has greater average kinetic
energy but may not have greater total kinetic energy. Suppose you were to compare a
milliliter of water near the boiling point with a bathtub full of water at room temperature.
The bathtub contains a billion times as many water molecules, and therefore has a higher
total kinetic energy and more heat. Nonetheless, we would consider the bathtub colder
because its average kinetic energy, or temperature, is lower.

Temperature Scales: Celsius and Kelvin

A thermometer is a device used to measure temperature. It is placed in contact with an


object and allowed to reach thermal equilibrium with the object (they will have the same
temperature). The operation of a thermometer is based on some property, such as volume,
that varies with temperature. The most common thermometers contain liquid mercury, or
some other liquid, inside a sealed glass tube. The liquid expands and contracts faster than
the glass tube. Therefore, when the temperature of the thermometer increases, the liquid
volume expands faster than the glass volume, allowing the liquid to rise in the tube. The
positions of the liquid in the tube can then be calibrated for accurate temperature
readings. Other properties that change with temperature can also be used to make
thermometers; liquid crystal colors and electrical conductivity change with temperature,
and are also relatively common thermometers.

The most commonly used temperature scale in the United States is the Fahrenheit scale.
However, this scale is rarely used throughout the world; the metric temperature scale is
Celsius. This scale, based on the properties of water, was devised by the Swedish physicist,
Anders Celsius (1704 – 1744). The freezing point of water is 0°C and the boiling point of
water was assigned to be 100°C. The kinetic energies between these two points was
divided evenly into 100 “degrees Celsius”.

The Kelvin or “Absolute” temperature scale is the scale often used by chemists and
physicists. It is based on the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases; this
temperature is called absolute zero and is 0 K. This temperature corresponds to
-273.15°C. Since absolute zero is the coldest possible temperature, there are no negative
values on the Kelvin temperature scale. Conveniently, the Kelvin and Celsius scales have
the same definition of a degree, which makes it very easy to convert from one scale to the
other. The relationship between Celsius and Kelvin temperature scales is given by:

K = °C + 273.15

On the Kelvin scale, water freezes at 273 K and boils at 373 K.

Conversion Formulas

Example

Convert 25°C to Kelvin.

K = °C + 273 = 25°C + 273 = 298 K

Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit

The formula for converting a measurement in Celsius to Fahrenheit is:


F = 1.8 C + 32

where F is the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit and C is the temperature in


degrees Celsius.

The formula may also be written as:


F = 9/5 C + 32

It is easy to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit by following these two steps:

1.​ Multiply your Celsius measurement by 1.8.


2.​ Add 32 to the result.

The final answer will be the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

Example: Convert 20°C to Fahrenheit.

1.​ F = 1.8 C + 32
2.​ F = 1.8 (20) + 32
3.​ 1.8 x 20 = 36 so F = 36 + 32
4.​ 36 + 32 = 68 so F = 68°F
5.​ 20°C = 68°F

The formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius is:

C = 5/9 (F-32)

1.​ Subtract 32 from the degrees Fahrenheit.


2.​ Multiply the value by 5.
3.​ Divide this number by 9.
4.​ Report the answer in degrees Celsius.

Example: Convert body temperature in Fahrenheit (98.6°F) to Celsius.

1.​ C = 5/9 (F-32)


2.​ C = 5/9 (98.6 - 32)
3.​ 98.6 - 32 = 66.6 so you have C = 5/9 (66.6)
4.​ 66.6 x 5 = 333 so you have C = 333 / 9
5.​ 333 / 9 = 37°C
6.​ 98.6°F = 37°C

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