Thermal energy
- Form of energy
Name
Thermal energy
Description
Thermal energy is heat energy, or the energy of moving or vibrating molecules. Heat and thermal energy are directly related to temperature. Adjacent objects that are different temperatures will spontaneously transfer heat to try to come to the same temperature. A hot cup of coffee in a cool room loses some of its thermal energy as heat flows from the coffee to the room. The molecules in the coffee slow their vibrating as the coffee loses heat, and over time, the coffee cools to the same temperature as the room.
Types