Temperature Vs. HeatAhh, uniformly warm Spain.(Source)Whether we're sitting by the pool or on a sandy beach in warm and sunny Spain, we complain about the heat, the high temperature. In pool-talk,...

We didn't do it!(Source)When we add heat to objects, the temperature increases. The molecules absorb the heat energy and start not only moving faster, but also farther and farther away from each ot...

Temperature, volume, and pressure of a gas in ideal-gas-law action.(Source)We just learned that matter expands when heated and contracts when cooled. We also learned that fairly simple formulas cal...

Even cold, wintry air has kinetic energy, even if it doesn't feel like it.(Source)We use the kinetic theory of gases to peer through the galaxy of the ideal gas law to look at the stars within. Thi...

Conservation of EnergyThat sound means that it's time to get to work.(Source)The First Law of Thermodynamics is "Do not talk about thermodynamics." Whelp. Lesson over, we guess.Just kidding. The fi...

Rein it in, Second Law of Thermodynamics. We have enough horse power as it is.(Source)The First Law of Thermodynamics had a lesson for us—everything is even and fair. No matter what happens, at...

The Ideal Heat EngineSadi Carnot in Napoleonic form.(Source)This is the part where we get to talk about the Napoleonic wars and cholera, and then think about what it would take to make the most eff...

The Second Law Strikes AgainHigh entropy gets us in trouble.(Source)It might not have a booth at the county fair, but thermodynamics still has a booming fortune-telling business. Rather than reveal...

Temperature and HeatRemember the units! This is true for all of thermodynamics. The constants for latent heat have units and we have to plug those units in along with numbers accordingly. Specific...

Temperature and Heat1. How much heat should be added to boil 500 ml of water that has been sitting at 15 °C? The specific heat capacity of water is .2. How much energy does it take to heat up a 25...