Matter is composed of atoms. Matter
takes three forms, solid, liquid and gas.
Temperature is a measure of how fast the atoms in matter are moving. If
a room is hot, then the oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the room are moving very fast. If the
room is cold, the atoms are moving slowly. The same is true in water. Even in a solid
rock, the atoms are free to vibrate, and this vibration is a measure of the temperature.
Heat is a measure of energy transfer. Heat always flows from hot
objects to cold ones. Fast moving atoms impart some of their energy to slower ones when
they collide. This slows down the fast atoms and speeds up the slow ones. Energy is thus
transferred from hot objects to cold ones.
Energy is the ability to do work. A boulder sitting on top of a hill is
said to have potential energy. When it starts rolling down the hill, this potential energy
is converted to kinetic energy. If this boulder is tied to a rope attached to a cart on
the other side of the hill, then it can lift the cart up the other side as it rolls.
Lifting the cart is work. So in this example, the boulder accomplishes work as it rolls.
As the boulder rolls some of its potential energy will be converted to
heat. This will raise the temperature of the boulder, the hill, the air, and the cart.
This means that some of the work done in lifting the boulder to the top of the hill cannot
be recovered when the boulder rolls down the hill.
next: quantum mechanics
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