What is thermal energy? Is the answer the total kinetic energy of all particles in a substance?
Yes, the answer is correct. Thermal energy is defined as the total kinetic energy of all the particles (atoms or molecules) in a substance. It is directly related to the temperature of the substance and determines its ability to transfer heat energy to other objects.
Yes, you are correct. Thermal energy refers to the total kinetic energy of all the particles in a substance. It is a form of internal energy that arises from the random motion of atoms and molecules within an object. The higher the temperature of the substance, the greater the average kinetic energy of its particles and therefore the higher the thermal energy.
Yes, you are correct. Thermal energy refers to the total kinetic energy of all the particles in a substance. It includes the kinetic energy of molecules, atoms, and even smaller particles such as electrons. The more thermal energy a substance has, the faster its particles are moving on average.
To understand how to arrive at this answer, you can break it down into a few steps:
Step 1: Define thermal energy: Thermal energy is the internal energy of a substance due to the motion of its particles.
Step 2: Identify the components: Thermal energy comprises the kinetic energy of all the particles in the substance.
Step 3: Understand kinetic energy: Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. For a particle, its kinetic energy depends on its mass and velocity.
Step 4: Sum up the kinetic energies: Calculate the individual kinetic energies of all the particles in the substance and then add them together.
By following these steps, you can arrive at the answer that thermal energy is indeed the sum of the kinetic energy of all particles in a substance.