CHAPTER Lecture Module 9

9 THERMAL ENERGY, TEMPERATURE AND HEAT

Objectives:
1. Define and differentiate internal energy and thermal energy.
2. Define, discuss and distinguish the terms heat and temperature.
3. Convert temperature quantities for one unit to another.
4. Utilize the process of scientific inquiry to help them understand the difference between heat
and temperature.
5. Discuss the concept of specific heat capacity and its relevance to everyday science.
6. Discuss and investigate the changes that take place in an object due to heat produced.
7. Examine the effect of heat on the volume of solids, liquids, and gases.
8. Explain how objects undergoes a change in phase without a change in temperature.
9. Compare and contrast the different mechanisms of heat

9.1. INTERNAL ENERGY E AND THERMAL ENERGY (Eth):

Internal energy denoted by E, is the total of the and the potential energy which is associated
with the vibrational and electric energy of atoms within molecules. The kinetic energy is due to the
motion of molecules which could be the molecules’ random translational, rotational, or vibrational
movement.
Thermal energy is a specialized term that refers to the part of the internal energy of a system
which is the total present kinetic energy resulting from the random movements of atoms and molecules.

9.2. TEMPERATURE AND ITS MEASUREMENT

The thermal energy of a molecule could be related to temperature. Which measures the hotness
or coldness of a substance. It indicates the average thermal energy of molecule of a substance. The
average thermal energy increases as the temperature increases.
Temperature is a basic quantity just like length and mass. In order to set up a numerical scale
to measure temperature, one must choose an arbitrary reference points or marks. The temperature
scales used are the Centigrade, Fahrenheit, Kelvin and Rankine. The following show the relationship
among these four temperature scales:

K = 0 C + 273
R = 0 F + 460
0 C = 5
0F – 32 9

Example Problem 1:
The highest recorded temperature in the Libyan dessert was 1360 F. What is the temperature on
the Celsius Scale?

Solution:
Given : 0F = 136

Required: 0C

Computation:
0 C = 5
0F – 32 9
T (0C) = 5/9 (0F - 32)
T (0C) = 5/9 ( 136 - 32)
= 57.780 C

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 1

Example Problem 2:
The lowest recorded temperature is -89.60C at Vostok Station, Antarctica. What is the temperature
on the Fahrenheit scale?

Solution:
Given : 0C = -89.6

Required: 0F

Computation:
0 C = 5
0F – 32 9
5(0F – 32) = 90C
0F – 32 = 9 0C

5
0F = 9 0C - 32

5
T (0F) = 9/5 (-89.60C) + 32
= - 129.28 0F

9.3. HEAT (Q)

Heat is the amount of transferred energy due to a difference in temperature. The amount of
energy transferred may be described as a quantity of heat and may be expressed as:
Calorie (cal) - amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one
Celsius degree.
Kilocalorie (kcal) - amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of I kg of water by one
Celsius degree.
British Thermal Unit (BTU) - amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound –
mass of water by one Fahrenheit degree.
SI unit of Heat: Joule (J)
1 cal = 4.186 J
1 kcal = 1000 cal = 4.186 x 103 J
1 BTU = 252 cal
1 BTU = 1055 J
The quantity of heat (Q) required to raise the temperature of a mass m of material by a small amount
T is
Q = mc T
where c = specific heat capacity of the material.
m = mass of the object
T = change in temperature
The specific heat capacity c is the amount of heat that must be added or removed from a 1 kg
or 1 gram mass of a substance to change its temperature by 1oC.
Units: J/ kg-oC, cal/g-oC, BTU/ slug -oF
c of water = 1 cal /g-0C

Specific Heat of Various Substances:

SUBSTANCE SPECIFIC HEAT SUBSTANCE SPECIFIC HEAT
Kcal/ kg –0C,cal/ g –0C, Kcal/ kg –0C,cal/ g –
Btu/ lb –0F 0
C, Btu/ lb –0F
Aluminum 0.22 Steam 0.480
Copper 0.093 Steel 0.11
Glass 0.20 Tin 0.055
Gold 0.03 Water 1.00
Ice 0.50 Zinc 0.092
Iron 0.11 Ethyl Alcohol 0.58
Lead 0.03 Methyl Alcohol 0.60
Silver 0.056 Human Being 0.830
(average)

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 2

Example Problem1: A 120-kg cold water at a temperature of 15 0C is to be heated to 61 0C. Find the
energy needed to heat the water.

Solution:
Given: cold water
Tf = 61o C
Ti = 15o C
m = 120 kg

Required: Q

Computation:
Q = mc T
= (120 kg) [4186 J/(kg.0C)] (610C – 150C)
= 2.3 x 107 J

9.5. MECHANISMS OR MODES OF HEAT TRANSFER

Heat always flow from a warmer body to a cooler body. There

are the modes of heat transfer: conduction, convection and
radiation.

a. Conduction – the transfer of heat from one place to another due

to collisions between molecules. Heat is transferred from the hot to
the cold part of an object by the transfer of thermal energy from atom
to atom through an object.

b. Convection – the transfer of heat from one place to another due to the actual transfer of heated
material.
Wind chill temperature – the temperature of still cold air that would cause the same heat-loss rate from
our bodies that occurs when cool air is moving at a particular speed.

c. Radiation - the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves. The net rate of radiative heat
transfer from an object is the difference of its rate of absorption Ra and its rate of emission Re of
radiation.

9.5. EFFECTS OF HEAT:

Heat affects materials in various ways:
1. Change in temperature.
2. Change in size.
3. Change in chemical composition.
4. Change in phase.

9.5.1. Calorimetry - is an experimental way to determine unknown quantities using thermal quantities.

Method of Mixture:
The heat given off equals the heat absorbed. In symbols,

Hot substance Cold substance

Q given off = Q absorbed

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 3

Example 1. A 150 ml of water at 700C is poured into a 125 – gram glass cup initially at 150C. What
will be the equilibrium temperature assuming no heat flows to the surroundings?

Solution:
Given:
T
100 ml of water 120 – gram glass cup
at 900C at 200C

Required:
Equilibrium Temperature T

Computation: The equilibrium temperature T could be determined by applying the method of mixture.
Heat lost by water = heat gained by cup
-mw cw T = mc cc T
-mw cw (T - Tw ) = mc cc(T – Tc )

From the table, the c of water = 1 cal/g oC, converting the unit to J/kg oC gives us
cw = 4186 J/ kg 0C
The mass of water could be determined from the definition of density
Density of substance = mass of substance/ volume of substance
m of water mw = densitywater x volume
= ( 1.0 x 103 kg/ m3) ( 150 x 10-6 m3)
= 0.15 kg
Substituting to the method of mixture equation gives us
-(0.15 kg)(1 kcal/ kg-0C)(4186 J/kcal)(700C– T)=(0.125kg)(0.20J/kg–0C)(4186 J/kcal) (T– 150C)
-(0.15)(4186)(70 –T) = (0.125)(840) (T – 15)
-627.9(70-T) =105 (T-15)
- 43,953 + 627.9.9T = 105T – 1575
627.9T – 105T = 43,953 – 1575
522.9T = 42378
T = 81.040C

Example Problem 2:
If 80 g of iron shot at 100oC is dropped into 200 g of water at 20oC contained in an iron vessel of
mass 50 g, find the resulting temperature.

Solution:
Given:
iron vessel
mv = 50g

iron water T
TFe = 100oC Tw = 20oC
mFe = 80 g mw = 200g

Required: T

Computation:
Applying the method of mixture;
Heat given off by iron fillings = heat taken by water and heat taken by iron vessel
QFe = Qwater + Qvessel
mFe cFe t = mw cw t + mv cv t
-80(0.115)(Tf –100)=200(1)(Tf–20)+50(0.115) (Tf –20)

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 4

 -9.2Tf + 920 = 200Tf – 4000 + 5.72 Tf – 115
-9.2Tf -200Tf - 5.72 Tf = -920 – 4000 – 115
-214.92Tf = -5035
Tf = 23.43 oC

9.5.2. Thermal Expansions:

When the temperature of a substance changes, the energy that is stored in the intermolecular
bonds between atoms changes. When the stored energy increases, so does the length of the molecular
bonds. As a result, solids typically expand in response to heating and contract on cooling; this
dimensional response to temperature change is expressed by its coefficient of thermal expansion

A. Expansion of Solids
A change in temperature T = T – To produces a change in length l in almost all solids.
Experimental results show that
l =  Lo T
where  is the coefficient of linear expansion.
The unit is oC – 1 read as “per degree”

Example 1. A 0.50-meter copper rod is heated from 20oC to 35oC. By how much will it expand? What
will be its final length?  of Cu = 17 x 10-6 / oC

Solution:
Given:  = 17 x 10-6 / oC
To = 25oC L0 = 1 m l
T = 35oC
Lf
Required: l, Lf

Computation:
a.  l =  L0  T
= (17 x 10-6 / 0C) ( 0.50 m) ( 35-200C)
= 1.275 x 10-4 m
b.  l = Lf - Li
Lf =  l + Li
= 1.275 x 10-4 m + 1 m
=1.001275 m

B. Expansion of Liquids
In liquids, the effect of heat is an increase in their volumes while the effect of cooling is a
decrease in their volume. The change in volume is given by
V =  Vo T
where  is the coefficient of volume expansion with unit of oC-1.

Example 1. A 200 ml of ethyl alcohol at 5oC is heated to 150C. What will be its final volume?  of
ethyl alcohol is 1,120 x 10-6 /oC

Solution:
Given:  =1,120 x 10-6 /0C
Vo = 200ml

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 5

 To = 50C
T = 150C
Required:
Vf

Computations:
Vf = Vo +  V
Solving for  V =  V0  T
= (1,120 x 10-6 /0C) ( 200 ml) ( 15-50C)
= 2.24 ml
Vf = 100 ml + 2.24 m
= 102.24 ml

C. Expansion of Gases
All gases have almost the same coefficient of expansion which is nearly the same at all
temperature except when close to the liquefying temperature of the gas. The coefficient of volume
expansion of gas is about 1/273 of its volume at 0 oC. At constant pressure, gas volume is directly
proportional to the absolute temperature (Charles law).
Vo/ V = To/ T

9.5.3. Change of Phase

Whenever the temperature of a substance changes, there is an accompanying change in
its molecular structure, then it is undergoing a change of phase – changing from one
homogenous form to another like when water is changing into liquid to vapor.

Heat of Fusion (Lf ) or sometimes called the Latent Heat of Fusion - the heat per unit mass
needed to change a substance from solid to liquid state at its melting point. This energy breaks down
the solid bonds, but leaves a significant amount of energy associated with the intermolecular forces of
the liquid state.
This is given by
Q = m Lf
The corresponding quantities associated with boiling and sublimation are called heat of
vaporization and heat of sublimation. When heat is added Q is positive and when heat is
removed Q is negative.

The following are types of heat involving phase

change:
1. Qgas-liquid = heat of condensation
2. Qliquid- solid = heat of solidification
3. Qsolid- liquid = heat of melting
4. Qliquid- gas = heat of vaporization
5. Qsolid-gas = heat of sublimation

Example Problem 1:
How much heat (joules) must be absorbed by 70 g of ice at 0oC to change it to water without a
change in temperature? (Lf of water is 79.7 cal/g).

Solution:
Given: Lf of water = 79.7 cal/g
m = 70 g
Required: Q
Computation:
Q = m Lf
= (70 g) ( 79.7 cal/ g)
= 5,579 calories x 4.186 J/ 1 calorie
= 23.35 k Joules

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 6

NAME:__________________________________________________ DATE:________________
SCHEDULE:_____________________________________________

Lecture Activity No.9

THERMAL ENERGY, HEAT AND TEMPERATURE

Solve the following problems:

1. The average temperature in La Trinidad is 200 C. What is this on the Rankine and Kelvin scales?

2. Fifty grams of ethyl alcohol is heated from 250C to 900C. How much heat was absorbed in the process?

3. A 500-g block of copper at 2000C is placed in a 125 – g aluminum calorimeter cup containing 100 g of
water at 150C. What will be the equilibrium temperature?

4. A steel rod measure is 175 cm long at 15o. What will its length be at 380C if its coefficient of linear
expansion is 0.000 012?

Physics for Engineers Lecture Module 7