The effect of weather is felt and expressed on a day-to-day basis. If it is hot or cold, it is handled and widely spoken if the temperature goes to extremes.
It is not only about the weather but also about the hot or cold substances we express in terms of heat and temperature. Both these concepts are well defined in science, but for the outer world, they may seem alike, but they are not.
Indeed, the terms heat and temperature are standard as their usage is high in daily life. It makes people feel that they are the same. However, these two are entirely two different concepts.
Key Takeaways
- Heat is a form of energy transfer resulting from a temperature difference, while temperature measures the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance.
- Heat flows from warmer to cooler substances until equilibrium is reached, while the temperature is an intrinsic property that does not flow.
- Heat is measured in joules or calories, while the temperature is measured in degrees Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin.
Heat vs Temperature
The difference between heat and temperature is heat is a form of energy, whereas temperature is the measure of power.
To understand it clearly in scientific terms, heat is the overall energy of the motion of the molecules, while the temperature is the average energy of the molecular motion.
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Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Heat | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning/Definition | Heat is defined as the total amount of energy available in the body. Heat is a form of energy. | Temperature is defined as a measure of the amount of heat in the body. Temperature is the measure of energy. |
| Scientific Property | Heat flows from a hotter substance to a more wonderful sense. | The temperature rises when the heat rises and comes down when the heat is reduced. |
| Measuring Property | Heat is measured as the total amount of kinetic energy and potential energy available in the object. | Temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy available in the object. |
| Unit of measurement | Heat is measured in Joules | Temperature is measured in Kelvin |
| Device for Measurement | Heat energy is estimated using Calorimeter | Temperature is calculated using a Thermometer |
What is Heat?
Heat is defined as the total amount of energy that is available in the body. Heat is a form of energy.
Heat is a form of energy that passes from one source to another object and is also transmitted further to other things due to their temperature difference. Of course, heat moves from hotter to more excellent objects.
It is the total amount of kinetic and potential energy available in the body. The measurement of heat is done in an energy unit called Joules.
Heat is also called transient energy, as it is constantly transmitted. Once it enters a body, it is no longer called heat energy; now, it is called internal energy.
Heat is a vital energy component for living. It is the essential energy that is needed for human survival too.
The source of heat energy are many, but the prime source of heat energy is the Sun. Other heat energy sources are fossil fuels, electricity and nuclear reactions.
The level of heat increases when the molecules in the object tend to move faster within the body. That is when the molecules are in higher kinetic energy.
Heat energy is transferred in three different ways. Conduction, Convection, and Radiation; solid-state heat transfer, liquid-state heat transfer, and gaseous-state heat transfer, respectively.
What is Temperature?
Temperature is the measure of heat in a body. In other words, the temperature measures the average kinetic energy of all molecules available in the body.
Temperature seems to rise when the heat goes high and falls when the heat is less. It is indeed not relevant if the body is big or small; the average amount of kinetic energy of the particles in a body is the temperature.
The unit of measurement of Temperature is Kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit. The temperature is measured using a device called a Thermometer.
The terms hot and cold are not scientific terms. To say whether an object is hot or cold is based on the temperature.
Temperature determines the flow of heat energy. The temperature cannot work but shows only the amount of heat energy available in the body.
] There are three different scales of temperature measurement, Celsius, Kelvin, and Fahrenheit. The celsius scale is overpowered by the Kelvin scale as the Celsius scale cannot measure temperatures below 0 degrees.
As the temperature is directly connected to the kinetic energy of the body, if the kinetic energy is doubled, the temperature rises or vice versa. Temperature is independent of factors like speed, size, and several particles in the body.
Main Differences Between Heat and Temperature
- Although Heat and Temperature are used in similar contexts, there are many differences lies in between them. The main difference between Heat and Temperature is the heat of an object is the total energy of the molecules present in it while the temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in the body.
- The heat can be measured using the theory of calorimetry using a calorimeter, whereas temperature is measured using a Thermometer.
- Heat is the measure of the total number of molecules multiplied by the energy possessed by each molecule present in the object, while temperature entirely relies on the speed at which the molecules move in the body. Faster, the greater temperature.
- The heat flows from the hotter to the colder body through conduction, convection, and radiation, whereas temperature rises when the heat rises and lowers when the heat reduces.
- Heat can work as the temperature is the measurement of the extent of heat energy in a body.
- https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/thermalP/u18l1d.cfm
- https://www.wired.com/story/temperature-is-not-what-you-think-it-is/
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-temperature-definition-lesson-quiz.html
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
