Why doesn't moving objects generate more heat if heat is atomic motion?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Bugge
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Heat Movement
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
5 replies · 3K views
Bugge
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Now, I am very dull, but something that has made me ponder for quite some time is movement and how you define it. As I've understood the movement of the atoms is what can make an object feel cold or warm or maybe even painful, and when you drop an icecube in a cup of water it will cool down because the atoms of the icecube attracts the heat or stops the movement of the surrounding water atoms (Well, maybe not exactly, but I am not very sure how to explain it, and even less sure if I am right). Is this somewhat partially correct? If it is, how come when you run or move something very fast, that very little heat is generated? I mean, since movement is the same as atoms being moved around, should the heat generated not be much more noticeable?

Also, I posted a topic long ago about timetravel, and I just checked it. I have been unable to answer it until recently - all thanks to our excellent ISP. I'd like to say thank you for your answers, and there was some pretty interesting links. Way over my head, but the little pieces I understood so far has been very helpful.

Thanks in advance :-)


Bugge
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Bugge said:
If it is, how come when you run or move something very fast, that very little heat is generated? I mean, since movement is the same as atoms being moved around, should the heat generated not be much more noticeable?
'Heat' is the random motion of molecules. An object sits motionless on a table, yet its molecules are in constant motion. If you increase its temperature, the random motion becomes faster.

But just moving something as a whole does not affect the random motion of its molecules.
 
Thank you for the simple answer :-) But if you get a whip over your fingers, for instance, it will feel warm (And quite painful aswell) for quite some time. Is this affecting the random movement of the molecules then, or is it just a "response" from your body?
 
Bugge said:
But if you get a whip over your fingers
What do you mean?
 
Bugge said:
But if you get a whip over your fingers, for instance, it will feel warm (And quite painful aswell) for quite some time. Is this affecting the random movement of the molecules then, or is it just a "response" from your body?
Assuming that you mean your fingers are hit by a whip, then some of the energy of the whip will end up going into random thermal motion of your fingers. But what you feel is mainly a biological response.
 
Exactly what I meant. Sorry, I keep mixing Danish and English together. Thanks for the answer :-)


Bugge