HEAT

&
TEMPERATUR
E

Objectives
Differentiate between heat and
temperature
Measure the temperature change
that results from using different
materials

 Heat is a form of energy, also known as

thermal energy.
Heat moves from one place to another due
to a difference in temperature.

 Heat energy flows from a region of high

temperature to a region of lower temperature.
Temperature is a measure of how hot
something is.

 Temperature depends
on the kinetic energy of
molecules in a
substance.
The more the molecules
in a substance move or
vibrate, the higher its
temperature and vice
versa.

Heat transfer

The movement of heat from a warmer to

a colder object

 Heat is transferred by:

Conduction
Convection
radiation

Conduction

Process whereby energy (heat) is

passed from one particle to another
through a medium
It is the transfer of heat through

 If you hold a metal rod with one end in a

flame, soon the entire rod becomes hot.
The heat energy has travelled from
atom to atom through the metal rod.
The energy is passed from one vibrating
atom to the next.

 Conduction occurs in solids ,liquids

and gases.
All metals are good conductors.
Water is a poor conductor. Air is a
very poor conductor.

 Different materials conduct heat at

different rates.
Materials which conduct heat rapidly
are called heat conductors.

Metals

 Poor conductors
of heat are called
insulators.
They conduct
heat slowly.
Generally, liquids
and nonmetals
are poor
conductors.

Wood

Water

Textiles

Insulators

Silver

Air

Copper

Cork

Aluminium

Glass

Iron

Water

Lead

Better
Insulator

Better
Conductor

Conductors

Convection

This is the transfer of heat from one part of a fluid

to another by the circulating movement of the
fluid itself.

 A fluid is a substance which can flow.

Convection occurs in liquids and
gases; these are fluids.

 When one part of a fluid is heated, it

expands, becomes less dense
(lighter) and rises.
The surrounding cooler fluid sinks to
take its place.
The circulating stream of liquid which
is set up is called a convection
current.
The convection current carries heat
rapidly from the bottom of the fluid
Refer to class activity wind energy
to the top.

 Convection gives rise to sea and land

breezes.

 Homes and buildings are kept well

ventilated by making use of
convection currents.

 Many household appliances such as

an electric kettle, a refrigerator, a hot
water system, an air-conditioning
unit all make use of convection.

Radiation

Radiation transfers energy in the

form of infra-red waves which can
travel through a vacuum.
The heat from the sun, reaches us by
radiation, in the form of infra-red

 Objects absorbs and give out

(radiate) energy all the time.
The rate at which this happens
depends on:
Surface temperature
Surface area
Nature of its surface

 A cup of tea at 70o C radiates more

heat than the cup of tea at 40o C.

40o C

70o C

 The rate of radiation or absorption

will be higher for an object with a
larger surface area.
A big solar panel will absorb more of
the Suns radiation than a small solar
panel.

 Some surfaces are better radiators

and absorbers of heat than others.

Giving off
radiation

Best

Dull
Black

Reflecting
Worst
radiation
Absorbing radiation Bes

Worst

Shiny
black

White

Silver
y

Best
Worst

Question
Why is it dangerous to have fuel
storage tanks painted in black?

Exercise
What type of heat transfer is involved?
Heating a room with a fireplace
Egg cooking in a frying pan
Roof of a house becoming hot
Warm air mass bringing a change in the
weather
Wire getting hot from an electric
appliance

THERMAL EXPANSION
&
CONTRACTION

 When objects (solid, liquid or gas)

get hotter, they get bigger. We say
they expand.
When objects cool down, they get
smaller. We say they contract.
Gases expand more than liquids and
liquids expand more than solids

 When a substance is heated, the particles

gain energy and vibrate more and faster.
The particles themselves do not get
bigger, but their faster vibrations push
them further away from one another.
This increases the amount of space
between them.

Co
ol

War

 When a substance is cooled, its

particles slow down and get closer
together.
This results in the contraction of the
substance.

Thermal expansion & contraction (solids)

Bar and gauge

Metal ball and

ring

Different metals expand by different amounts

for the same temperature change.

Thermal expansion & contraction

(solids)
A bimetallic strip is made up of 2
different metal strips.
Which of the 2
metals expands
more when
heated?

Which of the 2
metals contracts
more when cooled?

Thermal expansion & contraction

(gases)

Hot air balloons are made to rise by

the expansion of the warm air inside
the balloons

Effects of expansion and contraction

Concrete road surfaces will expand

and crack if no space is provided for
expansion

Effects of expansion and contraction

Metal railway tracks expand in hot
weather and become bent.
To avoid this, railway tracks are laid
in sections with expansion gaps
between them.

Effects of expansion and contraction

Concrete and steel bridges are built

with allowance for expansion and
contraction

Effects of expansion and contraction

Overhead cables expand and sag on

hot days, but contract and tighten in
cold weather

Effects of expansion and contraction

Pipes carrying hot or cold liquids and
gases often have large bends in them.
These bends allow the pipes to expand
or contract without cracking.
If boiling water is poured into a thick
glass, it may crack due to uneven
expansion of the glass. Most glassware
in the laboratory is made up of Pyrex.

Heat Capacity
When various materials are heated,
they gain energy.
However, not all the materials will
take the same time to raise to the
same temperature

 It takes a shorter time to raise the

temperature of half a kettle of water
by 1o C than one kettle of water.
This is because less heat is needed
to raise the temperature of half a
kettle of water by 1o C than one
kettle of water.

Half-filled
kettle

Full kettle

 The amount of heat required to raise

the temperature of a substance by 1o
C is the heat capacity of that
substance.
Heat Capacity depends on:
Mass of the substance greater the
mass the more heat needed to raise its
temperature
Nature of the substance more heat
is needed to raise the temperature of
water by 1oC compared to the same
mass of alcohol

 The specific heat capacity of a

substance is the amount of heat
required to raise the temperature of
o
1kg of a substance
by
1
C.
Specific Heat Capacity (J/kgK)
Lead

130

Mercury

139

Copper

385

Iron

444

Glass

840

Aluminium

900

Ethanol

2460

Water (liquid)

4186

Increasing specific heat capacity

 Which substance requires the least

amount of heat for its temperature to
rise by 30oC?

Which substance, mercury or water,

will rise by 1oC first, if both are
heated by a constant heat source?

END