Heat

Heat

Heat is thermal energy stored as kinetic energy and as potential energy in the modes of vibration. Heat flow is denoted by the letter Q.

Temperature

Temperature (T) is a measure of the average total kinetic energy of particles in matter.

Specific Heat Capacity

Specific heat capacity is the measure of heat required to increase the temperature of a given amount of a material. Specific heat generally changes with temperature. As the temperature approaches absolute zero, the specific heat capacity of a system also approaches zero. Specific heat capacity is normalized by the material's mass so is independent of the quantity of substance.

Thermal Mass

The total heat capacity of a sample is the mass times the specific heat. It measures how much thermal energy can be stored in an object.



This is also known as the thermal mass, and is a way of absorbing and storing heat, or damping temperature fluctuations. Objects with higher thermal mass will store more energy for each degree of temperature change.

Heat Transfer

Heat transfer is the flow of thermal energy from a hotter region to a cooler region. When an object is at a different temperature than its surroundings or another object, transfer of thermal energy occurs in such a way that the body and the surroundings reach thermal equilibrium; this means that they are at the same temperature. Heat transfer always occurs from a higher-temperature object to a cooler-temperature one as described by the second law of thermodynamics. The transfer mechanism is mediated through conduction, convection, and/or radiation.

Conduction is the transfer of kinetic energy from particle to particle and is the primary mechanism for heat transfer within solid materials.



Convection is the transfer of heat energy by particles physically moving from one location to another.



Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through empty space.