Info
Info
Instructions
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02:30
03:00
02:30
Some types of matter change temperature more easily than others.
One property of matter that causes this difference is specific heat. Specific heat is the amount of thermal energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 Kelvin. Substances with a higher specific heat take longer to increase their temperature when heated.
Select each type of matter to learn more.
The state of matter also affects how much thermal energy is needed to change the temperature of the same substance. For example, changing the temperature of the ice on a frozen lake by 10 degrees requires less thermal energy than changing the temperature of that same lake by 10 degrees when it is liquid water. That’s because the specific heat of ice is 2108 J/kg⋅K and the specific heat of liquid water is 4182 J/kg⋅K.
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The concrete patio is 30 degrees Celsius. The particles are arranged in a solid structure and are vibrating with more kinetic energy than the particles in the foam noodle.
Car Door Handle Ouch! The metal handle of the car door is hot! The specific heat of the metal door handle is fairly low, 480 J/kg⋅K, so it heats up fast!
Parking Lot Asphalt has a specific heat of 880 J/kg⋅K. The asphalt is hot on your bare feet. You walk quickly.
Sidewalk Concrete has a specific heat of 900 J/kg⋅K. The concrete sidewalk is somewhat hot on your bare feet. You walk more quickly.
Grass The grass is warm and damp. You can walk on it comfortably in your bare feet. That's because its specific heat is high—3000 J/kg⋅K!
Ari was at a friend’s house on a hot summer day. He felt the water in their big backyard pool. It was cool. Then he felt the water in a small kiddie pool nearby. It was warm. Ari wondered why the kiddie pool was warm but the big pool was cool. Both pools were exposed to the same amount of thermal energy from the sun. So, why did the pools have different temperatures?
The foam pool noodle is 28 degrees Celsius. The particles are arranged in a solid structure and are vibrating with less kinetic energy than the particles in the concrete.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod.
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- Consectetur adipiscing elit.
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Ari decided to measure the temperature of each pool and of a few other things, too! Select each object to learn about its thermal energy.
The water in the large pool is 22 degrees Celsius. The particles of water are moving with less kinetic energy than the particles of water in the kiddie pool.
The water in the small kiddie pool is 28 degrees Celsius. The particles of water are moving with more kinetic energy than the particles of water in the larger pool.
Experience 2: Thermal Energy & States of Matter
Kylie Grotti
Created on October 23, 2025
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Transcript
Info
Info
Instructions
03:30
02:30
03:00
02:30
Some types of matter change temperature more easily than others. One property of matter that causes this difference is specific heat. Specific heat is the amount of thermal energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 Kelvin. Substances with a higher specific heat take longer to increase their temperature when heated. Select each type of matter to learn more.
The state of matter also affects how much thermal energy is needed to change the temperature of the same substance. For example, changing the temperature of the ice on a frozen lake by 10 degrees requires less thermal energy than changing the temperature of that same lake by 10 degrees when it is liquid water. That’s because the specific heat of ice is 2108 J/kg⋅K and the specific heat of liquid water is 4182 J/kg⋅K.
03:00
03:30
03:30
The concrete patio is 30 degrees Celsius. The particles are arranged in a solid structure and are vibrating with more kinetic energy than the particles in the foam noodle.
Car Door Handle Ouch! The metal handle of the car door is hot! The specific heat of the metal door handle is fairly low, 480 J/kg⋅K, so it heats up fast!
Parking Lot Asphalt has a specific heat of 880 J/kg⋅K. The asphalt is hot on your bare feet. You walk quickly.
Sidewalk Concrete has a specific heat of 900 J/kg⋅K. The concrete sidewalk is somewhat hot on your bare feet. You walk more quickly.
Grass The grass is warm and damp. You can walk on it comfortably in your bare feet. That's because its specific heat is high—3000 J/kg⋅K!
Ari was at a friend’s house on a hot summer day. He felt the water in their big backyard pool. It was cool. Then he felt the water in a small kiddie pool nearby. It was warm. Ari wondered why the kiddie pool was warm but the big pool was cool. Both pools were exposed to the same amount of thermal energy from the sun. So, why did the pools have different temperatures?
The foam pool noodle is 28 degrees Celsius. The particles are arranged in a solid structure and are vibrating with less kinetic energy than the particles in the concrete.
Lorem ipsum dolor
Consectetur adipiscing elit
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit
Ari decided to measure the temperature of each pool and of a few other things, too! Select each object to learn about its thermal energy.
The water in the large pool is 22 degrees Celsius. The particles of water are moving with less kinetic energy than the particles of water in the kiddie pool.
The water in the small kiddie pool is 28 degrees Celsius. The particles of water are moving with more kinetic energy than the particles of water in the larger pool.