Temperature: Definition & Atomic Level Effects

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the definition of temperature and its atomic-level implications. Temperature is identified as a macroscopic property that reflects the average kinetic energy of molecules in a substance. When heating a substance, the average kinetic energy of its molecules increases, leading to heat transfer from higher to lower temperature collections. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding temperature beyond simple definitions, advocating for deeper exploration of thermodynamics and atomic behavior.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of thermodynamics
  • Familiarity with kinetic theory of gases
  • Knowledge of macroscopic vs. microscopic properties
  • Experience with scientific literature, such as Resnick and Halliday
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the kinetic theory of gases and its implications on temperature
  • Study thermodynamic principles and their mathematical formulations
  • Explore atomic behavior during heating processes in various substances
  • Learn about heat transfer mechanisms and their practical applications
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators in thermodynamics, and anyone interested in the atomic-level understanding of temperature and heat transfer processes.

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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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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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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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.
 
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.
 
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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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.
 

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