Thermal Transfer III

Thermal Properties Of Matter

• Heat or thermal energy is transferred from a higher temperature object to a lower temperature
object.

• Once the energy is transferred, it becomes the internal energy of the lower temperature object
and its temperature rises.

• Kinetic and Potential Energies are the 2 types of internal energies.

• Average changes in the kinetic energies is responsible for the changes in the temperature.

• The change in the Potential energy causes the change of state. i.e., The force between the
molecules and their distances apart.

• Like all forms of energy internal energy is measured in joule (J)

• Conservation of Energy – In all energy transferring processes, energy is neither created nor
destroyed.

Heat capacity

Heat capacity - The heat capacity of a body is the amount of thermal energy that is needed
to raise the temperature of the body by 1ºC (or 1 K).

• SI unit: J ºC-1 or J K-1

• When you know the value of the heat capacity of an object you can calculate how much
energy is needed to raise its temperature to a certain degree.
e.g If a body’s heat capacity is 120 J ºC-1 and its temperature is at 20 ºC, to heat it to
21ºC, we need to give it 120J of thermal energy. For 22ºC, the energy required is 240J.
Equation

Thermal Energy required = Heat capacity × Change in temperature

E = C × Δθ
Units where: E = (J), C = J ºC-1 or J K-1 and Δθ = ºC or K
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Specific Heat Capacity

Specific heat capacity – The specific heat capacity (c) of a substance is the amount of thermal
energy that is needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of the substance by 1 ᵒC (or 1K)

• SI unit: J kg-1 ºC-1 or J kg-1 K-1

Equation

Thermal Energy required = Mass × Specific heat capacity × Change in temperature

E = m × c × Δθ

Units where: E = (J), m = kg, c = J kg-1 ºC-1 or J kg-1 K-1 and Δθ = ºC or K

➢ Substances with lower specific heat capacity require a smaller amount of thermal energy
to raise its temperature.
➢ When same amount of thermal energy is supplied, the one with the lower specific heat
capacity will heat up faster.
➢ Substance with high specific heat capacity is able to store (when heated up) or release
(when cooled down) large amount of thermal energy.

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Heat Transfer between two objects.

• We know that when two bodies with different temperatures are in contact, they will
finally have equal temperature.
• By the principle of conservation of energy:

Energy lost by the hot body = energy gained by the cold body

• The hotter body (temperature θ1, mass m1, and specific heat capacity c1) will transfer
some of its heat energy to the colder body (temperature θ2, mass m2, and specific heat
capacity c2) and finally they will have same temperature θ.

Since body 1 is losing heat, the change in temperature

m1 × c1 × ∆θ1 = m2 × c2 × ∆θ2 in (θinitial body 1 – θfinal). However, body 2 is gained heat, ⸫
(θfinal – θinitial body 2).

Melting, Boiling and Evaporation

Matter can exist in three state: solid, liquid and gas.

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Melting and Freezing

When a solid is heated, it melts to a liquid.

The process is called melting (from solid state to liquid state).
The reverse process of melting is freezing (from liquid state to solid state)

• Melting and Freezing occurs at the same temperature even though there is a change in
state.
• During the change of state, there is NO change in Temperature even though there is an
increase (during melting) or a decrease (during freezing) in thermal energy.
• During melting the gain in thermal energy (also known as latent heat of fusion) is used to
break the intermolecular bonds between the molecules of the solid.
• During freezing, liquid molecules come together to form intermolecular bonds and
release thermal energy.

Boiling and Condensation

When a liquid is heated, it boils to a gas.

The process is called boiling (from liquid state to gaseous state).
The reverse process of boiling is condensation (from gaseous state to liquid state)

• Boiling and Condensation occurs at the same temperature even though there is a change
in state.
• During the change of state, there is NO change in Temperature even though there is an
increase (during boiling) or a decrease (during condensation) in thermal energy.
• During boiling, the gain in thermal energy (also known as latent heat of vaporization) is
used to separate the molecules of the liquid further apart.
• Thermal energy is release during condensation.

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Heating Curve

• The heating curve of a solid shows the changing process of solid state to liquid state and
finally to gaseous state when thermal energy is supplied to the solid.

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Cooling Curve
• A cooling curve of a gas shows the changing process of gaseous state to liquid state and
finally to solid state when thermal energy is flowing out at a constant rate from the gas.

Latent Heat and Specific Latent Heat.

Latent heat - is the thermal energy absorbed or released during a change of state.

Latent Heat of Fusion

• For a solid at its melting point, the amount of thermal energy that is needed to change its
state (without changing the temperature) is called the latent heat of fusion.
• The molecules in a solid are held by strong forces. At melting point, all the energy
supplied to it is completed used up for breaking the strong forces.
• Only the Potential Energy of the molecules has increased, not the kinetic energy. As
such, the temperature at melting point remains unchanged.

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Specific Latent Heat of Fusion

Specific Latent heat of Fusion – of a substance is the amount of energy needed to melt 1 kg of the
solid to liquid without changing the temperature.
without changing the temperature.
SI unit: Jkg-1

Eg. Specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 340 000 Jkg-1

To melt 1 kg of ice at 0ºC, we must give it 340 000 J of energy. On the contrary, to make
1kg of ice, we must take 340 000J away from 1 kg of water at 0ºC.

• Knowing the specific latent heat of fusion, we can calculate the energy needed to melt a
solid at its melting point by using the equation:

Equation

Thermal Energy required = Mass × Specific Latent heat of Fusion

E = m × Lf

Units where: E = (J), m = kg, Lf = J kg-1

➢ The specific latent heat of fusion is much greater than the specific heat capacity as
more energy is required to break the strong forces between molecules.

Eg. Specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 340 000 J kg-1

Specific heat capacity of ice = 2100 J kg-1 ºC-1

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Latent Heat of Vaporization

• For a liquid at boiling point, the amount of energy that is needed to change its state
(without changing the temperature) is called the latent heat of vaporization.
• In this process, the latent heat is used to overcome the attractions between the molecules
in the liquid. It is also used to push back the surrounding air molecules in order to let the
molecules in the liquid to escape, becoming a gas.

Specific Latent Heat of Vaporization

Specific Latent heat of Vaporization – of a substance is the amount of energy needed to vaporize
1 kg of the liquid to gas without changing the temperature.

SI unit: Jkg-1

Eg. Specific latent heat of vaporization of water = 2 300 000 Jkg-1

To boil 1 kg of water at 100ºC, into 1 kg of steam 100ºC we must give it 2 300 000 J of
energy. On the contrary, if we want to condense 1 kg of steam at 100ºC, to water at 100ºC.
we must draw 2 300 000J of energy from the steam.

• Knowing the specific latent heat of vaporization, we can calculate the energy needed to a
liquid to a gas at its boiling, point by using the equation:

Equation

Thermal Energy required = Mass × Specific Latent heat of Vaporization

E = m × Lv

Units where: E = (J), m = kg, Lv = J kg-1

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