The knowledge and processes of science have evolved over time as an approximation of truth within cultural contexts. 3.1c The desire to understand the natural environment and to predict the course of natural events is universal. People have developed theories to explain events. Today we are going to learn that heat is present in all matter. We will also learn the scientific meaning of heat.
Heat is the energy of moving molecules.
All molecules moving in varying degrees. The molecules in matter slow down as the state of matter goes from a gas, to a liquid, and then to a solid. An example of the variation of heat energy in different matter is a wood burning stove versus a gas heater. A room with gas heat will warm faster than wood heat because the molecules in a gas are moving faster and possess more heat energy. Have the students bend a piece of sheet metal and feel the increase in temperature at the bend caused by increased molecular motion.