All Flashcards
What are the key differences between specific heat and thermal conductivity?
Specific Heat: How much energy is needed to change temperature. | Thermal Conductivity: How fast heat moves through a material.
Compare materials with high vs. low specific heat.
High Specific Heat: Requires a lot of energy to change temperature, heats up/cools down slowly. | Low Specific Heat: Requires little energy to change temperature, heats up/cools down quickly.
Compare materials with high vs. low thermal conductivity.
High Thermal Conductivity: Transfers heat very quickly. | Low Thermal Conductivity: Slows down heat transfer.
Differentiate between the units of specific heat and thermal conductivity.
Specific Heat: J/kg·°C | Thermal Conductivity: W/m·°C
What is the difference between heat and thermal energy?
Heat: The transfer of energy between objects due to a temperature difference. | Thermal Energy: The total kinetic and potential energy of the molecules within an object.
What happens when a material with high specific heat is heated?
Its temperature increases slowly because it requires a large amount of energy to raise its temperature.
What happens when a material with high thermal conductivity is placed in contact with a heat source?
Heat is rapidly transferred through the material.
What is the effect of increasing the thickness () of a material on the rate of heat transfer?
Increasing the thickness decreases the rate of heat transfer.
What happens if the temperature difference () across a material increases?
The rate of heat transfer through the material increases.
What is the effect of increasing the cross-sectional area () on the rate of heat transfer?
Increasing the cross-sectional area increases the rate of heat transfer.
What is specific heat ()?
The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C.
What is thermal conductivity ()?
A measure of how well a material conducts heat.
Define heat energy transferred ().
The amount of energy transferred due to a temperature difference (measured in Joules).
What is in the context of heat transfer?
Change in temperature, usually measured in degrees Celsius (°C).
Define cross-sectional area () in the context of thermal conductivity.
The area perpendicular to the direction of heat flow (measured in square meters, m²).