Recent Blog Posts
Oftentimes, heat gains and losses can be measured with a thermometer. When this is the case, the heat can be “sensed” and we call it “sensible heat”. Raising the temperature of water from 20ºF to 40ºF is an example of sensible heat. The formula used to calculate the heat required to raise the temperature of […]
Have you ever wondered why some things heat up quicker than others? Or why some substances might take several minutes to get hot, while others only take a few seconds? It is well understood that as heat is applied to a substance in a single state, the temperature of the substance will increase. Experiments have […]
In scientific terms, “heat” is synonymous with energy and work. To explain heat, it is best to start small. All matter is made up of molecules. Molecules that contain heat energy are in constant motion. The speed of the molecular motion is directly related to the temperature of the matter. The faster, or more intense, […]
Simply defined, temperature is a measurement of the intensity of heat. “Intensity” is an important adjective to use when defining temperature. Everyone is familiar with things feeling “hot” or “cold”, but those terms are subjective and based solely on one’s perception of the intensity of heat energy. Temperature is measured using a thermometer. In the […]
While the pressure that the air exerts over the surface of the earth is approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch, most pressure gauges will read ‘0’ psi when open to the atmosphere. This is because pressure gauges measure a “relative pressure” compared to the surrounding atmospheric pressure. When a gauge is put on a tire […]