The concepts of heat and temperature are closely related, since heat is the perception of a living being of a high temperature, while temperature is a physical magnitude that reflects the amount of heat. For example: a stove, the burning of calories when doing physical exercise, water when it boils when it exceeds 100°C.
The heat is all energy produced by the movement of molecules in a given substance, while temperature is a measure of the average molecular energy.
The heat depends on speed at which the particles move. It is also influenced by the quantity, size and number of particles. The temperature does not depend on these variables.
Heat causes the temperature to increase or decrease. Adding heat increases the temperature; by removing heat, it decreases.
Heat is energy, while temperature is a measure of it.
Let’s go to an example:
The temperature of coffee in a cup can be the same as the temperature of coffee in a 5 liter jug; however, there will be more heat in the jar, because with more liquid, there will be more total thermal energy.
Measurement units
Heat enters a body in a process known as heating, and the unit of measurement that refers to the quantity of thermal energy necessary for the transfer is called calories, and represents an energy quantity. Matter necessarily has the property of heat, since it has to do with the movement of the particles inside it.
So, the unit of measure for heat represents the amount of energy needed to transfer from one unit to another, and is the calorie, or Joules: one calorie represents 4,184 Joules.
The temperature is represented by more frequent units of measurement, which also quantify the activity of the molecules inside the matter. The temperature gauges give rise to different particularities of matter, such as state, solubility and volume.
As for the state, we can say that there is a certain level of temperature (different depending on the substance), which once exceeded, the body ceases to be solid and becomes liquid, and another temperature level that once exceeded, leaves from being a liquid and becoming a gas.
The most common units of temperature measurement are:
- Celsius. Consider 0 degrees the level at which water passes from solid to liquid, and 100 at the level at which it passes from liquid to gas,
- Fahrenheit. Where temperature responds to a combination of substances that make 0 and 100,
- Kelvin. It is the unit of absolute temperature, zero Kelvin is the point where substances make the least possible movement.
Body temperature
Temperature is a very important element for the body, since the vital mechanism of homeostasis that people have is what leads to the maintenance of a relative constancy in terms of temperature. Very sudden swings in body temperature can lead to very serious problems, and even death.
The body temperature The normal value that is generally accepted is 37°C, but with a certain range between 36.1°C and 37.2°C. Above that temperature, it will be said that the person has low-grade fever.
Examples of temperature and heat
Here are some examples of heat and temperature in different circumstances:
- The emission of heat produced by a light bulb.
- The process of heating a liquid, whereby the hot part moves up and the cold part moves down.
- The separation of the contained molecules to a unit mass, and then the change from liquid to vapor phase when the heat of vaporization is exceeded.
- The waters of the sea surface, which receive radiation from the sun.
- Touching a spoon that was in a very hot glass of milk, and that consequently will also be hot.
- The heat received by a person who is cooking, even though he is not actually in the place where the heat is produced
- The doctor, who takes his temperature when he checks on a patient.
- The melting of a unit mass of a solid substance, when the body passed through the heat of fusion.
- Physical exercise, which allows you to burn calories.
- Heat expelled by a running engine.
- The water when it boils, because it exceeded 100 ° C.
- In solids with a rod, heat spreads to the rod.
- A stove.
- Curing point of refractory materials, 500°C
- The heating process in a pan, where the heat flow spreads to the handle.
- The dehydration point of metallic parts, 250°C.
- The process of ice production, called solidification of water, where the temperature becomes less than 0°C.
- Heat energy in a vacuum, which is propagated by radiation.
- The refrigerant substance of the refrigerator.
- The light that reaches us from the sun, which transports energy through radiation.