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      Energy and temperature

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can describe the difference between the temperature and the energy of an object or substance.

      Key learning points

      1. The directions in which particles in a substance move are random. This is true of solids, liquids and gases.
      2. The higher the temperature, the faster the particles vibrate in a solid or move past each other in a liquid or gas.
      3. Energy needs to be transferred to an object to raise its temperature.
      4. For two identical objects, the one at a higher temperature has more energy.
      5. For two objects made of the same substance at the same temperature, the one with more particles has more energy.

      Keywords

      • Random - something that happens or is chosen without any specific pattern, reason, or plan, like whether a coin flip will land heads up or tails up

      • Temperature - a measure of how hot something is

      • Thermal energy store - the energy a substance stores because of the random motion of its particles

      Common misconception

      Energy and temperature are the same thing.

      Warm different amounts of water in identical kettles for the same time to show they reach different temperatures for the same energy transferred.

      Teacher tip

      Sourcing two (or more) identical kettles speeds up demonstration times and allows direct comparisons of warming for different times and/or amounts of water.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What property do objects have if they have energy in the gravitational store?

      they are moving
      Correct answer: they are raised up
      they are stretched
      they contain chemicals that can react

      Q2.
      What property do objects have if they have energy in the chemical store?

      they are moving
      they are squashed
      Correct answer: they contain chemicals that can react
      they have a temperature

      Q3.
      Compare the energy in the thermal store of an ice cube and the equivalent volume of water at room temperature. Which statements are correct?

      The ice cube has more energy in the thermal store than the water.
      Correct answer: The water has more energy in the thermal store than the ice cube.
      They both have the same amount of energy in their thermal store.
      Correct answer: The ice cube has some energy in the thermal store.
      The ice cube has zero energy in the thermal store.

      Q4.
      Which of these cause the energy in the chemical store to increase?

      burning a candle
      Correct answer: a person eating
      a person walking upstairs
      Correct answer: a mobile phone charging

      Q5.
      What happens to the particles a gas is made of when it is heated to a higher temperature?

      they move around less quickly
      they vibrate less quickly
      Correct answer: they move around more quickly
      they vibrate more quickly

      Q6.
      What happens to the particles a solid is made of when it is cooled down to a lower temperature?

      they vibrate backwards and forwards less quickly
      Correct answer: they vibrate in random directions less quickly
      they vibrate backwards and forwards more quickly
      they vibrate in random directions more quickly

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      In which state(s) of matter do particles move around in random directions?

      solid state
      Correct answer: liquid state
      Correct answer: gas state

      Q2.
      What happens to particles of a gas if you decrease their temperature?

      they get heavier
      Correct answer: the get slower
      they get smaller
      Correct answer: they collide with less force

      Q3.
      Put the following in order of how much energy they have in the thermal store, starting with the least energy.

      1 - 1 g of water at room temperature
      2 - 1 kg of water at room temperature
      3 - 10 000 g of water at room temperature
      4 - 1 tonne of water at room temperature

      Q4.
      What happens to the energy a hot water bottle has in the thermal store as it cools down throughout the night?

      it is slowly used up
      Correct answer: it is transferred to cooler objects in contact with it
      Correct answer: it is transferred to the surroundings
      it evaporates

      Q5.
      Which of these samples of water has the most energy in the thermal store?

      one teaspoon of water taken from a small cup of hot water at 75°C
      one teaspoon of water taken from a full kettle of water at 75°C
      Correct answer: two teaspoons of water taken from a large cup of hot water at 75°C
      two teaspoons of water taken from a bath full of water at 45°C

      Q6.
      Which of these samples of water has the most energy in the thermal store?

      a teaspoon of water at 75°C
      a cup of water at 70°C
      a kettle of water at 90°C
      a bath of water at 40°C
      Correct answer: a swimming pool of water at 20°C

      To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Energy and temperature, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...