What is thermal energy?

What is thermal energy?

• A. The energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree.
• B. The energy of motion of the particles in a gas only.
• C. The total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.
• D. The energy stored in chemical bonds.

Answer: (C)

Thermal energy is the total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. The particles are always moving and colliding, and the sum of all that microscopic motion stores energy as heat. When you add heat, the particles move faster, so the thermal energy increases. This idea applies to solids, liquids, and gases alike, not just gases. It isn’t the energy stored in chemical bonds (that’s chemical energy), and it isn’t the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature by one degree (that describes heat capacity or specific heat).

Thermal energy is the total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. The particles are always moving and colliding, and the sum of all that microscopic motion stores energy as heat. When you add heat, the particles move faster, so the thermal energy increases. This idea applies to solids, liquids, and gases alike, not just gases. It isn’t the energy stored in chemical bonds (that’s chemical energy), and it isn’t the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature by one degree (that describes heat capacity or specific heat).