What is the difference between temperature and heat ?

1 Answer
Mar 27, 2018

If a body gains heat, its temperature will increase (in general). If a body looses heat, its temperature will decrease (in general).

Explanation:

Temperature is a relative measurement of how hot/cold something is. (Technically, it is a measurement of the kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules of the substance.)

Heat is a form of energy. Adding heat to a substance will generally raise its temperature. (The reason that I have used the word generally above is that something different happens if the substance is about to "change state" between solid/liquid or liquid/gas. Water changing between ice/liquid or liquid/steam are examples. So assume the temperature changes I am talking about are not near the temperatures where state changes happen.)

Let's say that to warm 1 kg of a substance #10^@ C# requires a quantity Q of heat.
To warm 2 kg of that substance #10^@ C# requires a quantity 2Q of heat.
To warm 1 kg of that substance #20^@ C# requires a quantity 2Q of heat.

I hope this helps,
Steve