After reading these notes, test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Heat and Temperature

It is important to know the difference between heat and temperature.

Heat

Heat

  • Heat is the amount of thermal energy stored in an object.
  • Heat or thermal energy is measured in Joules (J).
    • It is the total kinetic and potential energy a substance has.
  • Even cold objects have thermal energy.
  • The more particles an object has, the more thermal energy it will have.
  • The greater the mass, the more particles so the greater total of thermal energy.
Temperature

Temperature

  • Temperature is a way we can measure the thermal energy of a substance (its heat).
  • It is a measurement of how fast particles are moving which is their kinetic energy stored.
  • Temperature is commonly measured in degrees Celsius (°C).
  • A thermometer or data logger will measure the temperature of an object.
  • Cold particles will move slower than warmer ones.
Jump to other topics
1

Biology

1.1

Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2

Reproduction & Variation

1.3

Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4

Digestion & Nutrition

1.5

Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6

Biological Systems & Processes

2

Chemistry

2.1

Particles

2.2

Chemical Reactions

2.3

Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4

The Periodic Table

2.5

Materials & the Earth

2.6

Reactivity

2.7

Energetics

2.8

Properties of Materials

3

Physics

3.1

Energy

3.2

Forces & Motion

3.3

Waves

3.4

Electricity & Magnetism

3.5

Matter

3.6

Space Physics

4

Disciplinary Knowledge

Practice questions on Heat & Temperature

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
Answer all questions on Heat & Temperature

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium