Hot is Not Heat
Temperature, thermometers — and the lake that beats the teaspoon
What this lesson covers
Why it matters
A boiling teaspoon of tea is HOTTER than a cool lake. But ask which one could melt more ice, and the lake wins by a mile. Hot and heat are two different questions.
Predict first
Which holds more HEAT energy: a huge cool lake or a boiling teaspoon?
Temperature says how hot each bit is; heat is the TOTAL energy (measured in joules or calories). Heat can raise temperature, expand things, or change their state — a million kilograms of 'mild' beats five grams of 'boiling'.
- the lake — heat depends on the amount of stuff too — correct
- the teaspoon — it's hotter
- equal
What you do
Place your bet, then drop ice into both and watch which one actually delivers.
Check yourself
Temperature is measured with a…
Clinical (35–42 °C, for fevers) and laboratory (−10 to 110 °C) are the two you'll meet.
Water boils and freezes (in °C) at…
The Celsius scale is BUILT on water's two fixed points. Fahrenheit puts them at 32° and 212°, and scientists also use the Kelvin scale (0 °C = 273 K).
Normal human body temperature is about…
37 °C = 98.6 °F — same warmth, two languages.
- thermometer — correct
- barometer
- speedometer
- 100° and 0° — correct
- 90° and 10°
- 212° and 32°
- 37 °C — correct
- 98.6 °C
- 25 °C