Thermal Energy and You
By Ciara Eldridge Block 4

What it Thermal Energy?
• The dictionary definition
of Thermal Energy would
be considered “Total
Kinetic Energy of the
System.”

Wait?! What’s Kinetic Energy?
• Kinetic energy is the energy of
motion. How much you have
depends on the mass and speed of a
substance. Thermal Energy refers to
the Kinetic Energy of the microscopic
particles(molecules). The Higher the
temperature the faster the particles.

You mentioned temperature, like how
hot something is, right….?
• Not exactly. Temperature is basically
the average kinetic energy a
substance obtains.
• No, this is not considered “how hot.”
Heat is in this context a verb and is
the act of transferring Thermal
Energy.

Are there different types of heat
transfer??
• Yes only
3, Conduction, Convection, and
Radiation.

Conduction??
• This is the transfer of thermal Energy by direct contact. ( or the
transfer of energy through matter from particle to particle).
• Examples: Touching a stove and being burned
• -Ice cooling down your hand
• -Boiling water by thrusting a red
• -hot piece of iron into it
• Hugging another and getting heated and hot after a while.

Convection??
• Convection is the transfer of thermal energy from the movement of
molecules.
• Examples: Warm, rising air (thermals) due to heat rising from the earth.
As the warm air rises, cool air comes in from the sides to take its place.
This sets up a circulating flow of air.
Also, watch a glass beaker of boiling water over a not-too-high Bunsen
flame, or see a pan on the stove. Note the water is rising and falling in a
circular manner.

Radiation??
• Radiation is the transfer of heat from waves(Electromagnetic ).
• Examples: A microwave. It sends out microwaves which radiate the water
molecules in the object in the microwave and excite them and that's why
the object will get hot.
• visible light
• infrared or ultraviolet

So…How Do I Know How Much
Thermal Energy I Have?
• There is the total thermal energy equation of
course.
• (Tf-Ti)t . (mass)(Cp)
• Tf-Ti (Temp. Final – Temp. Initial)is the change
in temperature in your data
• T is temperature
• Cp is the Specific heat Capacity
• “.” Is multiply

The Process of Losing and Gaining
• There are two changes to thermal energy:
Endothermic change and an Exothermic
change.

Endothermic Change
• This is a change in which energy is aborbed.
• The substance takes in energy and the molecules
move faster as result.
• Examples: Ice cream gains energy and therefore
thermal energy and proceeds to melt.

Exothermic Change
• This is a change in which energy is released.
• The substance loses energy and the particles
move slower as a result.
• Example: The Atomic bomb explodes and
releases energy.

END!
• YOU NOW KNOW ALL THE BASICS OF
THERMAL
ENERGY~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!