- #1
moonman239
- 282
- 0
If I microwave an insulated cup of water or expose it to sunlight, how do I determine the amount of heat energy? Do I use the equation E=hv, where h = Planck's constant and v = the frequency of the microwaves?
Enthalpy said:This would work if you knew how many photons are absorbed. Though formally feasible, such a method is quite indirect. Normal people would use the power, or the power density, of the light or microwave source to compute the power absorbed and converted into heat.
Quantum energy refers to the energy possessed by particles at the quantum level, such as photons and electrons. Heat, on the other hand, is a form of energy that is transferred from one body to another due to a difference in temperature.
Yes, quantum energy can be converted into heat through processes such as absorption and emission of photons. When a particle absorbs a photon with a certain amount of energy, it gains that energy as quantum energy. This can then be converted into heat through collisions with other particles.
It depends on the context. In terms of energy transfer, heat is generally more efficient as it can be transferred through various mechanisms, whereas the transfer of quantum energy is limited to particle interactions. However, in certain situations such as light-based technologies, quantum energy can be more efficient.
Quantum energy is directly related to temperature through the concept of thermal equilibrium. At a certain temperature, particles have a specific amount of quantum energy, which is determined by the temperature. As the temperature increases, so does the average quantum energy of the particles.
Yes, quantum energy and heat can coexist and often do so in various systems. For example, in a light bulb, both quantum energy in the form of photons and heat energy are present. In fact, the conversion of quantum energy into heat is a natural process that occurs in many systems.