Temperature is a measure of heat
Everything has some measure of heat
Heat is kinetic energy thermal energy
The amount of heat in an object is related to how fast the atoms are moving in that object.
The faster the motion the higher the temperature
The slower the motion the lower the temperature
Heat always flows from warmer areas to cooler areas
Thermal energy flows from areas of high energy to areas of low energy
Temperature is measured using a thermometer or a thermistor
Thermometers measure temperature through the use of a liquid or metal that is sensitive to temperature
The liquid expands when it is heated, contracts when it looses heat (cools)
Mercury thermometers - used for scientific thermometers
Alcohol thermometers - used in household thermometers
Spring Coil thermometers - uses a spring of metal; as the metal gets warm it expands.
Thermistors - electronic thermometers that measure the changes in resistance of an electrical current as the temperature changes as temperature goes up, the resistance goes up
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit - °F (1717)
Originally based on ice melting at 32° and a human body temperature being equal to 96°
-Mistake was made, it is actually 98.6°F
-water freezes at 32° F
-water boils at 212°F
Anders Celsius - °C (1742)
International standard, scientific measurements are all made in Celsius
-part of the Metric System
Water freezes at 0°C
Water boils at 100°C
1 degree of Celsius = 1.8 degrees of F
1 degree of F = 0.56 degrees of C
This is based on the concept of Absolute Zero
Atoms are always in motion - moving or vibrating due to the amount of thermal energy they have
The temperature at which all motion stops, i.e. no heat energy, is Absolute Zero
Kelvin - K
Metric System
Used in scientific studies
K = °C + 273.15°
English System
Not used today
Amount of insolation changes throughout the course of one day
The amount of energy gained or lost during the day
There is a net gain during theday, at night a net loss.
Variation in temperature throughout the day.
The minimum temperature occurs just after sunrise.
Maximum temperature occurs in the mid-afternoon.
Air temperature is not the same over different surfaces
Factors which control these variations:
Urban Heat Island
The Earth Observer, Sept-Oct 2006 Issue: Within this PDF document is an article entitled "There's a Change in Rain Around Desert Cities" by Rob Gutro. It highlights some new research results in regards to Urban Heat Islands.
