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Unit 13: Thermodynamics Page 12
Textbook Reading
“I’m too cold. Get me a sweater!” the thermal energy of objects. We
use three different kinds of scales
“This soup’s too hot!”
to measure temperature.
“Phew, I’m sweating.”
Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin.
“Yowtch, that pan handle burned (The fourth, Rankine, which is the
me!” absolute scale for Fahrenheit, is
the one you’ll learn about in
If you’ve ever made any of the
college.)
above comments, then you were
talking about thermal energy. Very Mr. Fahrenheit, way back when
clever of you, don’t you think? (18th century) created a scale
using a mercury thermometer to
Thermal energy is basically the
measure temperature. He marked
energy of the molecules moving
0° as the temperature ice melts in
inside something. The faster the
a tub of salt. (Ice melts at lower
molecules are moving, the more
temperatures when it sits in salt.
thermal energy that something
This is why we salt our driveways
has. The slower they are moving,
to get rid of ice). To standardize
the less thermal energy that
the higher point of his scale, he
something has.
used the body temperature of his
I’m sure at some point you’ve said, wife, 96°.
“Wow, my internal thermal energy
As you can tell, this wasn’t the
is way high! I need a liquid with a
most precise or useful measuring
low thermal energy.”
device. I can just imagine Mr.
What...you’ve never said that?! Fahrenheit, “Hmmm, something
Oh, wait. I bet it sounded like this cold...something cold. I got it! Ice
when you said it, “Wow, I’m hot! I in salt. Good, okay there’s zero,
need a cool drink.” Whenever we excellent. Now, for something hot.
talk about the temperature of Ummm, my wife! She always feels
something we are talking about its warm. Perfect, 96°. ” I hope he
thermal energy. never tried to make a thermometer
when she had a fever.
Temperature
Just kidding, I’m sure he was very
Temperature is a way of talking
precise and careful, but it does
about, measuring, and comparing
seem kind of weird. Over time, the
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