Introduction – Heat Energy

When cold water is placed inside a pot and placed on a stove, the heat supplied by the stove heats the water. The water becomes hot after some time as a result of heat energyEnergy is the ability to do work. Energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, and electrical energy. Units of Energy: The SI unit... More absorbed from the stove.

When we dip our hands inside cold and hot water, our reactions to the two are not the same. The changes in the temperature of the water are a result of the heat energy supplied.

Therefore, heat is a form of energy and temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of a body.

A hot body is at a higher temperature than a colder body.

What is Heat?

Heat is a measure of the total kinetic energy of a body and it is a scalar quantityA scalar quantity is a quantity that does not depend on direction. It can also be defined as a quantity with magnitude only. Examples of Scalar Quantities include area, density, distance,... More measured in JoulesJoule is the SI (International System of Units) unit of energy and work. It is equal to the amount of work done when a force of 1 newton displaces a mass... More.

A calorimeter is used to measure the quantity of heat in a body.

What is Temperature?

Temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of a body. It is the property of a body that determines the direction of the flow of heat and it is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules of a body.

The instrument used for measuring the temperature of a body is called a thermometer, it is a scalar quantity and the S.I unit is Kelvin (K).