Heat and thermal energy question

[kaweezah]

I've read books saying that heat and thermal energy are the same and I've read other books saying they are not the same. I'm confused now. Which of them is right? or maybe they're both right?

 

[Dale]

They are not exactly the same, but they are very closely related. Heat is a transfer of energy from one body to another due to a difference in temperature. Thermal energy is the portion of energy of a system which increases with temperature.

I kind of think of thermal energy as potential heat. In that sense the relationship between heat and thermal energy is similar to the relationship between work and potential energy.

 

[astrokreng]

There is often confusion surrounding the terms heat and thermal energy because they are closely related concepts but are not exactly the same thing. Heat refers to the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another, while thermal energy refers to the total energy of the particles within a substance. So, while they are both related to the movement and transfer of energy, they are not interchangeable terms. Both books may be correct in their own way, as they may be referring to different aspects or definitions of heat and thermal energy. It is important to understand the specific context in which these terms are being used in order to fully comprehend their meaning and relevance.