facebook
1%
Processing, please wait...
It was processed successfully!
It was processed successfully!
Login Create Free Account
Create Free Account
language

Thermometer Definition

A thermometer measures a substance's temperature by its particles' speed. For example, it indicates how hot or cold water is.

View Lesson on Intro to Thermal Energy
Grades 6-8 VideoIntro to Thermal Energy player orange
Preview Only
Oops! It looks like your security settings are blocking this video 🙁

If you are on a school computer or network, ask your tech person to whitelist these URLs:
*.wistia.com, fast.wistia.com, fast.wistia.net, embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net

Sometimes a simple refresh solves this issue. If you need further help, contact us.

 

Intro to Thermal Energy

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • A thermometer measures an average temperature because the particles within a substance do not all move at exactly the same speed.
  • A thermometer shows that the temperature of ice is 0 degrees Celsius, the temperature of steam is 100 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of liquid water is in between.
  • A surface thermometer uses an infrared or liquid crystal strip.

Why Do We Need To Know About Thermometer

Learning about thermal energy helps you understand how heat changes things and why thermometers are important in many areas. For example, in cooking, knowing the right temperature makes sure food is safe and tastes good. This is important for baking cookies or heating food in microwaves.

Thermometers are also key in different jobs like environmental engineering, the military, and healthcare. They help in making fake snow, heating ready-to-eat meals, or using cold packs in sports. So, measuring and managing heat is useful in lots of careers and everyday life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do hot objects have high temperatures?
Temperature measures the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules that make up an object. As thermal energy is added to an object, the object’s molecules move faster. When the molecules move faster, they have more kinetic energy. So the temperature increases.
What happens to the molecules that make up a chocolate chip as it is heated in the oven?
As thermal energy is transferred to the chocolate, its molecules vibrate faster and faster. Eventually they vibrate fast enough that they start to slide past each other and move around. As this happens, the chocolate changes from a solid to a liquid.
Why do water droplets form on the outside of a glass of cold soda?
Thermal energy moves from water vapor in the air around the glass into the cold drink. As the water molecules in the air lose energy, they slow down and move closer together. As this happens, the water vapor condenses into a liquid on the outside of the glass.
Explore More Science Topics
Image play Four Seasons and Day Length
Image play Chemical vs. Physical Changes
Image play Bacteria & Viruses
Image play Who is Dr. Jeff?
Image play Patterns in the Sky
Image play Variation of Traits
Image play Multicellular Organisms
Image play Introduction to Sound
Image play Balanced & Unbalanced Forces
Image play Atoms & Molecules
Image play What is Engineering?
Image play Weathering & Erosion
Image play Tectonic Plates
Image play The Five Senses
Image play Structure of Living Things
Image play Solar & Lunar Eclipses
Image play Introduction to Weather
Image play Water Cycle (3-5 Version)
Image play Chemical Reactions
Image play Simple Machines
Image play Properties of Matter
Image play Natural Selection
Image play Oceans, Lakes and Rivers
Image play Earth’s Orbit & Rotation
Image play Electricity & Circuits
Image play Living vs. Non-Living Things
Image play Fossils & Extinction
Image play Electromagnetic Spectrum
Image play Heating and Cooling
Image play Energy Transfer
Image play Plant & Animal Cells
Image play Inspired by Nature (Biomimicry)
Image play Sun and Other Stars
Image play Causes of Seasons
Image play Introduction to Light
Image play Brain Processing of Senses
Image play Symbiosis (Interactions Between Organisms)
Image play Pollination and Seed Dispersal
Image play Adaptations and the Environment
Image play Electric & Magnetic Fields
Image play Material Properties and Purposes
Image play Collisions
Image play Classification of Living Things
Image play Gravity Pulls Things Down
Image play Magnets & Static Electricity
Image play Gravitational Forces Between Objects
Image play Pushes and Pulls
Image play Food Webs
Image play Synthetic Materials
Image play Introduction to Traits
Image play Conservation of Matter
Image play Competition in Ecosystems
Image play Plant Growth Conditions
Image play Ecosystems
Image play Wave Reflection, Absorption & Transmittance
Image play Animals Help Their Babies Survive
Image play Patterns of Motion & Friction
Image play Comparative Anatomy
Image play Solids, Liquids and Gases
Image play Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
Image play Engineering Design Process
Image play Plants Need Water And Light
Image play Human Body Systems
Image play What is Science? (6-8 Version)
Image play Biodiversity of Life on Earth
Image play Natural Disasters
Image play Intro to Thermal Energy
Image play Sunlight Warms the Earth
Image play Extreme Weather Solutions
Image play Food Webs: Cycling of Matter & Flow of Energy
Image play Habitats
Image play How Do We Use Food
Image play Properties of Elements
Image play Parts of a Plant
Image play Wave Properties
Image play Water Cycle (6-8 Version)
Image play Communication Over Distances
Image play Moon & Its Phases
Image play Potential vs. Kinetic Energy
Image play Maps of Landforms
Image play Interactions of Earth’s Spheres
Image play Reproduction of Living Things
Image play What Is Science? (K-2 Version)
Image play Light Reflection & Vision
Image play Genes & Mutations
Image play Classification of Materials
Image play Particle Nature of Matter
Image play The Solar System
Image play Natural Resources
Image play Weather vs. Climate
Image play Photosynthesis & Respiration
Image play Changing the Shape of Land
Image play Animal Group Behavior
Image play Rocks & Minerals (Including Rock Cycle)
Image play Reducing Our Impact on Earth
Image play Information Transfer
Image play Rock Layers (Geologic Time)
Image play External Animal Parts
Image play Earth’s Landscapes
Image play Heat: Transfer of Thermal Energy
Image play Living Things Change Their Environment
Image play Animal & Plant Life Cycles
Image play Biotechnology
Image play Timescale of Earth’s Events
Image play Water Quality & Distribution
Image play Maintaining Biodiversity
Image play Animals Need Food
Image play What Is Science? (3-5 Version)
Image play Predicting Natural Disasters
Image play Digital vs. Analog Signals
Image play Newton’s Laws of Motion
Image play Climate Zones & Ocean Currents
Image play Air Masses & Weather Fronts
Image play Intro to Climate Change
Image play Natural Resource Distribution
Image play Human Impacts on the Environment
Image play The Fossil Record
Image play How To Be A Scientist (College & Careers)

Related Topics

×
X
Success
We’ve sent you an email with instructions how to reset your password.
Ok
x
Choose Your Free Trial Period
3 Days

3 days to access to all of our teaching resources for free.

Continue to Lessons
30 Days

Get 30 days free by inviting other teachers to try it too.

Share with Teachers
Get 30 Days Free
By inviting 4 other teachers to try it too.
4 required

*only school emails accepted.

Skip, I will use a 3 day free trial

Thank You!

Enjoy your free 30 days trial

We use cookies to make your experience with this site better. By using this site you agree to our use of cookies. Click "Decline" to delete and block any non-essential cookies for this site on this specific property, device, and browser. Please read our privacy policy for more information on the cookies we use.Learn More

We use cookies to improve your experience. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Click "Decline" to block non-essential cookies. See our privacy policy for details.Learn More