Temperature: Definition & Atomic Level Effects

In summary: This causes the molecules to move faster and collide more frequently, leading to an increase in pressure. At the atomic level, temperature is related to the average energy of the particles making up the substance.
  • #1
Frigus
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What is temperature?
The simple definition I get in books is that it is the measure of coldness or hotness,but what in real it is at the atomic level what does happens to the atoms when we we work on substance by heating.
 
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  • #2
Hemant said:
What is temperature?
The simple definition I get in books is that it is the measure of coldness or hotness,but what in real it is at the atomic level what does happens to the atoms when we we work on substance by heating.
There are much better explanations than this.

Where have you looked?
 
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  • #3
pinball1970 said:
There are much better explanations than this.

Where have you looked?
I have seen it and resnick halliday and the study material I got from my institute.
 
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  • #4
Hemant said:
What is temperature?
The simple definition I get in books is that it is the measure of coldness or hotness,but what in real it is at the atomic level what does happens to the atoms when we we work on substance by heating.
It is a macroscopic property of large collections of molecules. It has the property that if two such collections are put in contact passively, heat energy will flow from the one with a higher temperature to the one with the lower.

It turns out that for most commonly encountered situations, the temperature of a collection is given (up to a constant scaling factor) by the average energy per microscopic degree of freedom of the component molecules in that collection.
 
  • #5
Hemant said:
I have seen it and resnick halliday and the study material I got from my institute.
Post what you asked here mentioning atomic level in a Google search, science daily / and quora will give you some answers. I am not allowed to just give you the answer. Getting used to streamlining your searches, key words and targeting the best sites is more important then just getting the answer.
 
  • #6
Hemant said:
I have seen it and resnick halliday

That's not what they say at all. They relate the mathematical development of thermodynamics to our everyday experience.

If you want to understand physics, you need to put more effort in.
 
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  • #7
Hemant said:
The simple definition I get in books is that it is the measure of coldness or hotness,

For starters think of it as the thing you measure with a thermometer. That's enough to get you started and then you can refine the definition further as you develop your understanding.

but what in real it is at the atomic level what does happens to the atoms when we we work on substance by heating.

When you increase the temperature of an ideal gas you increase the average kinetic energy per molecule.
 

FAQ: Temperature: Definition & Atomic Level Effects

1. What is temperature?

Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. It is a physical quantity that indicates how hot or cold something is.

2. How is temperature measured?

Temperature is typically measured using a thermometer, which contains a liquid (such as mercury or alcohol) that expands or contracts in response to changes in temperature. The thermometer's scale is based on the freezing and boiling points of water.

3. How does temperature affect atomic behavior?

At higher temperatures, the particles in a substance have more kinetic energy and therefore move faster. This can cause changes in the atomic behavior, such as increased collisions and more rapid reactions.

4. What is absolute zero?

Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature, at which all molecular motion stops. It is equivalent to 0 Kelvin or -273.15 degrees Celsius.

5. How does temperature affect the states of matter?

Temperature plays a significant role in determining the state of matter. At higher temperatures, substances can transition from solid to liquid to gas, and at lower temperatures, they can transition back to a solid. This is because temperature affects the strength of intermolecular forces between particles in a substance.

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