Science Test: Topic 4 Thermal Energy

Conductor

A material that conducts heat well (transmits thermal energy) Ex. Glass, metal, water, tile/ceramic

Insulator

A material that does not conduct heat we (absorbs thermal energy) Ex. Plastic, Styrofoam, air, fabrics, wood

Energy Transformation

Changing forms of energy (ex. Kinetic to potential, kinetic to thermal).

Convection Current

Repeating circular motion that occurs because of convection.

Specific Heat

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a material by 1 Kelvin. Specific heat is depended on type and amount of matter. (low specific heat = less energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance; higher specific heat = more energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance)

Thermal Expansion

The expansion of matter when it is heated. Different materials thermally expand at different rated. When thermal expansion occurs, the molecules in a substance are heated and begin to move faster. As the molecules move faster, they spread apart and take up more space.

Energy Conservation

The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. However, it can be transferred from place to place or transformed into another form of energy.

Thermal Energy

The total kinetic and potential energy of all the particles of an object. It is dependent on state of matter, type of matter, and amount of matter.

Radiation

The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. It does not require a medium (can travel through space). Ex. Warmth from a fire, the sun heating earths surface, getting a suntan, microwaving your food.

Convection

The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of fluids (hot, less dense fluids rise, cooler, more dense fluids sink) ex. Convection currents, heating your home, boiling water.

Heat

The transfer of thermal energy from a warmer object to a cooler object.

Conduction

The transfer of thermal energy from on particle of matter to another that are in direct contact (touching). Ex. Touching a not cup, butter melting on a pan, sitting on a bench and it is feeling cold.

Energy Transfer

When energy moves from one object to another (form of energy does not change) (ex. Thermal energy moving from the hot air to the cool water).

Be able to describe how thermal energy moves and what happens to the particles of a substance when you add or remove thermal energy.

When you add or remove thermal energy, the particles begin to speed up or slow down. As this happens, the thermal energy either increases or decreases, but the temperature may increase, decrease, or stay the same. Thermal energy ALWAYS transfers from a warmer object to a cooler object.