THERMAL ENERGY

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson, students

should be able to;
1. Define thermal energy
2.Illustrate that when two bodies are in contact, heat flows from
the hot to the cold one
3.Name the methods of heat transfer
4.Describe heat conduction and is applications
5.Describe heat convection and state two of its applications
6. Explain heat radiation and state two of its applications
 Definition of Thermal Energy
• Thermal energy is the energy that is transferred from one place to
another due to differences in temperatures. It is also called heat
energy. It is the energy present in hot objects. Heat energy flows
from a hot region (hot object) to a cold region/object. The primary
source of energy is the sun. We make use of energy from the sun
in forms of heat and light energies. Heat energy is measured using
a calorimeter.
• Thermal energy is the internal energy of an object due to the kinetic
energy of its atoms or molecules. These particles move/vibrate
constantly. An increase in the temperature of the particles make the
particles to vibrate faster. The hotter a substance, the more its
particles vibrate and thus the higher its thermal energy.
 Heat flow/Transfer
• This is the movement of heat energy from a region of higher
temperature to a region of lower temperature. When two
objects/bodies are in contact, heat flows from a hotter body to a
cooler body.
• Illustration of heat flow
• A cup of hot water has thermal energy in form of kinetic energy
from its vibrating particles, when cold water is poured into the
cup, some of its heat is transferred from the hot water to the cold
water and thus the water becomes cooler.
• Also, when you sit outside during a sunny day or near a fire,
your body becomes warmer. this shows that heat flows from a
hotter body to a cooler/colder body.
Methods of heat transfer
• Heat transfer can happen in three ways. they include
• 1. Conduction
• 2. Convection
• 3. Radiation
 Heat Conduction
• This is the process by which heat energy is transferred from a
region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature
along a solid material. Particles of solids are closely packed
together and are constantly vibrating. When one end of a rod
(solid) is heated, the particles at that end gain heat energy and
begin to vibrate. The heat energy is transferred to the particle
next to it. This process continues until the heat energy reaches
the other end of the rod. The direction of heat flow is always
from hotter to cooler part of the solid.
• Objects that allow heat to flow or pass easily through them are
called conductors. They are mostly metals such as copper,
silver, nails, aluminium, stainless steel, gold, brass, etc.
• Objects that do not allow heat to flow through them are called
insulators or bad conductors. They include plastics, wood,
asbestors, etc.
• Objects that do not allow easy flow of heat through them are
called semi-conductors. Examples include Silicon,
germanium, boron and gallium arsenide.
• Applcation of heat conduction.
• heat conduction can be observed in the following.
• 1. Cooking Utensils: Good heat conductors are used in making
cooking pots, kettles, spoon, and so on. This ensures a quick
transfer of heat from fire to the food being cooked, and
consequently, a quick cooking of the food being cooked. Handles
of such cooking utensils are made with bad conductors called
insulators so that the handle can be held with ease when cooking.
• 2. Home ceiling: Home ceilings are made of asbestos (insulator)
which prevents the heating of houses during sunny days.
• 3. Electric and Charcoal iron: Heat from electric or charcoal iron
is conducted to the shirt/cloth which makes it easy to iron out all
the unsightly wrinkles.
• 4. A cold stainless plate becomes hot after some minutes
when food is placed on it due to the conduction of heat
from the cooked food to the plate.
 Heat Convection
• This is the process by which heat energy is transferred from
one part of a liquid/fluid to another by the movement of the
molecules of the liquid. Molecules of the liquid (e.g water) that
is being heated acquire heat energy and rise up while the
molecules of cool water above sink down to replace the
molecules of hot water at the bottom. In this way, heat is
transferred to the cold molecules. This circulation of liquid
molecules creates convection current within the liquid.
Convection occurs in fluids (liquids and gases).
Application of Heat Convection
• 1. Heating of liquid in a flask kept over a burner.
• 2. Ventillation
• 3. Cooling of motor car engines
• 4. Air conditioning
• 5. Car radiators
• 6. Water heaters/boilers
• 7. Ice melting
• 8.Sea breeze or land breeze caused by a difference in
pressure
 Heat Radiation
• This is the process by which heat energy is transferred from
one place to another without the aid of a material medium. It
involves the transfer of heat energy from place to place
through the empty space in the form of waves. In this case, a
medium is not needed to transfer heat. The heat given out by
radiation is known as radiant heat or energy. Heat from the sun
reaches the earth by radiation. Also, when you warm yourself
by the fire side, the heat reaches you by radiation.
 Application of Radiation
• 1. It is not advisable to wear a black/dark coloured cloth in a hot
afternoon.This is because the dark colour will absorb radiated
heat of the sun and will cause the individual to feel hot and
uncomfortable. It is better to wear white clothes in hot weather
because it absorb and reflect heat easily.
• 2. The outer surface of a teapot is brightly polished. such a
surface radiates less less heat than an unpolished surface and
will therefore retain heat inside the teapot for a longer period.
• 3. A brightly painted car is preferred to a black painted car in
tropical countries such as Nigeria. the black painted car will
absorb much heat from the sun and the inside is always hotter
than the brightly coloured ones.
 Assignment
• 1. What is thermal energy
• 2. what is heat transfer
• 3. mention three methods of heat transfer
• 4. use an illustration to show that heat flows from a hotter body
to a cooler body
• 5. list two applications each of the three methods of heat
transfer.