7.2 Temperature and Heat

7.2 Temperature and Heat

When we touch ice, we feel cold. When we dip our fingers in warm water, we feel hot. Thus, by the sense of touch we can tell which body is colder or hotter. A hotter body is said to be at a higher temperature as compared to a colder body.

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Temperature of a body is defined as the degree of its hotness or coldness.

It is our common experience that when we heat a body, its temperature rises. The process of heating provides heat or thermal energy to the body, which is the cause of the rise in temperature.

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Temperature can be defined as a physical quantity which determines the direction of flow of thermal energy.

This means that thermal energy is transferred from one object to another due to the temperature difference between the two bodies. Therefore, we can define heat as follows:

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Heat is the energy which is transferred from one object to another due to the difference of temperature between the two bodies.