Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
Thermal energy refers to the total kinetic energy of all the particles in a substance. It is a measure of how fast the particles are moving and vibrating.
Temperature: Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold an object or substance is. It is related to thermal energy but specifically measures the average kinetic energy of particles.
Heat: Heat is the transfer of thermal energy from one object or substance to another due to temperature differences.
Specific Heat Capacity: Specific heat capacity refers to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a given mass of a substance by one degree Celsius. It varies for different substances.