Energy Transfer and Thermal Energy
Aligned to MS-PS3 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Thermal energy is the total motion of particles in a substance. Heat flows from warmer objects to cooler ones until they reach the same temperature (thermal equilibrium).
Worked example
A metal spoon in hot soup heats up: fast-moving soup particles collide with spoon particles, transferring energy until both are the same temperature.
Practice questions
- Which way does heat flow between a hot drink and a cold hand?
- How is temperature different from thermal energy?
- Predict what happens when warm and cold water mix.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Transferencia de energía y energía térmica
La energía térmica es el movimiento total de las partículas en una sustancia. El calor fluye de los objetos más calientes hacia los más fríos hasta que alcanzan la misma temperatura (equilibrio térmico).
Ejemplo: Una cuchara de metal en una sopa caliente se calienta: las partículas de la sopa que se mueven rápidamente chocan con las partículas de la cuchara, transfiriendo energía hasta que ambas alcanzan la misma temperatura.
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