Okay, that title is like, way, too, long! And, I'm pretty sure I've lost your attention already...but hang with me! Who decides how much thermal energy is in an object? I mean, do you just look at the object and guess how much is in there? The object depends on 3 things: 1. The number of molecules in the object. 2. The temperature of the object (the average kinetic energy of the molecules crashing into each other). 3. The more molecules the object has at a certain temperature, the more thermal energy it has. (More mass, more thermal energy...more mass, higher temperature, more thermal energy....) Are there any objects that have NO thermal energy? Well, scientists call this "absolute zero", and it is a theoretical state...absolute zero hasn't been found yet... No, seriously, no one has found it yet. This is the coldest temperature recorded and there is still kinetic energy found in molecules at this temperature. I know, it's hard to imagine. I look at a piece of ice and think to myself "that looks like the coldest thing I've ever seen". The weird part about finding absolute zero is that it takes energy to get super cold... True, we'll leave that for another day. Go ahead and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa, a warm shower and a nice dip in a hot spring! I rather like kinetic energy!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |