Difference Between Temperature and Thermal Energy
What is Temperature?
Temperature is a
physical property, characterizing the average kinetic energy of the particles
of a macroscopic system in thermodynamic equilibrium. It is a property of the
matter, which quantifies the concepts of warm and cold. Warmer bodies have a
higher temperature than the cooler ones.
The temperature plays
an important role in all areas of the natural sciences – physics, geology,
chemistry, atmospheric sciences, and biology. Many of the physical properties
of the substances, including the solid, liquid, gaseous, or plasma phase,
density, solubility, vapor pressure, and electrical conductivity, depend on
temperature. The temperature also plays an important role in the determination
of the speed and scope of chemical reactions.
Quantitatively the
temperature is measured with thermometers. Three temperature scales are
currently used in science and industry. Two of them are on the SI system – the
Celsius and the Kelvin scales. The Fahrenheit scale is mainly used in the
United States.
When two bodies with
different temperatures come in a contact, heat exchange takes place between
them, causing the warmer body to cool down and the cooler body to heat up. The
heat exchange stops when the bodies become with equal temperature. Then thermal
equilibrium is established between them.
Temperature is a
measure of the intensity of the heat movement of the particles. Brown’s
movement becomes more intense when the temperature rises. Diffusion also occurs
faster at higher temperatures. These examples show that the temperature is
directly related to the chaotic motion of the structural elements. The
particles of the heated bodies have higher kinetic energy – they move more
intensely. In contact, the particles of the body with higher temperature yield
some of their kinetic energy to the particles of the cooler body. This process
continues until the intensity of the particles movement in the two bodies
becomes equal. Heat phenomena are therefore associated with the chaotic
movement of the structural elements, which is why this movement is called
thermal.
Due to the chaotic
nature of the thermal movement, the particles have a variety of kinetic
energies. As the temperature increases, the number of particles that have
greater kinetic energy increases, i.e., the heat movement becomes more intense.
When the temperature
decreases the intensity of the thermal movement decreases. The temperature at
which the thermal movement of the particles is terminated is called absolute
zero. The absolute zero on the Celsius scale corresponds to a temperature of
-273.16° C.
What is Thermal Energy?
Energy is a physical
property that characterizes the ability of a system to change the state of the
environment or to execute work. It can be attributed to any particle, object,
or system. There are different forms of energy, which often bear the name of
the respective force.
The total kinetic
energy of the structural elements of a system (atoms, molecules, charged
particles) is called thermal energy. It is a form of energy associated with the
movement of the structural elements that make up the system.
As the temperature of a
body increases, the kinetic energy of the structural elements increases. As the
kinetic energy increases, the body’s thermal energy increases. Therefore, the
thermal energy of the bodies increases with the increase of their temperature.
Thermal energy depends
on the body mass. Let’s take, for example, a cup of water and a lake with the
same temperature. At the same water temperature, the average kinetic energy of
the molecules is the same. But in the lake the quantity of the molecules and,
respectively, the thermal energy of the water are significantly larger.
Transfer of thermal
energy occurs whenever a temperature gradient exists in a system of continuous
matter. Thermal energy can be transferred by conduction, convection, and
radiation. It is transmitted from the parts of a body (or system) with a higher
temperature to the parts where the temperature is lower. The process continues
until the temperature in the body (or system) equals.
Thermal energy is
actually the kinetic energy of the structural elements of the matter. Thermal
conductivity is, respectively, a transfer of this kinetic energy and occurs in
the chaotic collisions of particles.
Depending on their
ability to allow easy movement of the thermal energy the substances are divided
into conductors and insulators. The conductors (e.g. metals) allow easy
movement of the thermal energy through them, while the insulators (e.g.
plastic) don’t allow it.
Nearly every energy
transfer is related to the release of thermal energy.
The unit of measurement
of thermal energy on the SI system is Joule (J). Another often used unit is
Calorie. Thermal energy corresponding to energy at a temperature of 1 K is
1,380 × 10-23 J.
Difference Between Temperature and Thermal Energy
Definition
Temperature: The
average kinetic energy of the structural elements of a system (atoms,
molecules, charged particles) is called temperature.
Thermal energy: The
total kinetic energy of the structural elements of a system is called thermal
energy.
Values
Temperature: The
temperature can be positive and negative.
Thermal energy: The
thermal energy always has positive values.
Units of measurement
Temperature: The temperature
is measured in Celsius, Kelvin, and Fahrenheit.
Thermal energy: The
thermal energy is measured in Joule and Calorie.
Quantitative dependence
Temperature: The
temperature does not depend on the quantity of the substance – it is related to
the average kinetic energy of the particles.
Thermal energy: The
thermal energy depends on the quantity of the substance – it is related to the
total kinetic energy of the particles.
Temperature vs Thermal Energy: Comparison Chart
Summary of Temperature vs Thermal Energy
The average kinetic
energy of the structural elements of a system (atoms, molecules, charged
particles) is called temperature.
The total kinetic
energy of the structural elements of a system is called thermal energy.
The temperature can be
positive or negative, while the thermal energy always has positive values.
The temperature is
measured in Celsius, Kelvin, and Fahrenheit. The thermal energy is measured in
Joule and Calorie.
The temperature does
not depend on the quantity of the substance – it is related to the average
kinetic energy of the particles.
The thermal energy
depends on the quantity of the substance – it is related to the total kinetic
energy of the particles.
source:
http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-temperature-and-thermal-energy/
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