Sentuh kompor panas dan Anda akan merasakan panas. Panas adalah perpindahan energi termal dari benda yang lebih panas ke benda yang lebih dingin. Panas tidak sama dengan suhu. Suhu mengukur energi kinetik rata-rata partikel. Panas adalah energi yang berpindah karena perbedaan suhu. Secangkir air mendidih memiliki suhu yang lebih tinggi daripada bak mandi berisi air hangat, tetapi bak mandi mengandung lebih banyak panas karena memiliki lebih banyak air. Panas selalu mengalir dari panas ke dingin, tidak pernah sebaliknya, kecuali jika terjadi kerja.

Heat moves in three ways. Conduction transfers heat through direct contact, as when a metal spoon heats up in soup. Convection transfers heat through the movement of fluids, as when warm air rises. Radiation transfers heat through electromagnetic waves, as when the sun warms your face. Heat is measured in joules or calories. The specific heat of a substance is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram by one degree Celsius. Water has a high specific heat, which is why it takes a long time to boil and why coastal climates are milder than inland ones.

Heat facts

• Definition.
• Direction.
• Transfer.
• Unit.
• Specific heat.

Heat is not the same as temperature. Temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy. Heat is the transfer of energy.