Name:
Period: ____
Chapter 3: Thermal Energy
Study Guide
Goal 1: Understand particle motion in the gas, solid and liquid states.
Goal 5: Demonstrate how a change in thermal energy changes particle motion.
1) Directions: Read the paragraph, look for pieces of incorrect information. When you find an incorrect
statement, cross it out and rewrite a correct statement underneath it.
If I could see the particles moving in my soft drink at Chipotle, I would notice they are
moving much less freely than the ice inside the cup. The particles in the ice are much
further apart than the particles in the soft drink. The soft drink will eventually freeze the
ice until each cube has become liquid. The particles in the steam from my burrito are
tight and move slowly. The must have sublimated from the moisture in my food.
2) On a hot and humid summer day, you and your best friend decide to drink ice-cold pop outside. After
some time, liquid begins to drip off the outside of each can. “Oh no!!! Looks the pop spilled!” your
friend sobs. Upon examination, you realize the drips are of water rather than pop. In detail, explain how
thermal energy is flowing in this scenario, how the speed of the particles are changing, and which states
of matter are changing (using terms).
Goal 4: Distinguish between heat and temperature of a substance.
3) Explain the difference between heat and temperature.
4) If you are given 1 melted milkshake and 15 frozen milkshakes, explain which one has more heat and
why?
Temperature
Particle Motion
Pressure
Particle Motion
Goal 3: Predict how pressure and temperature affect particle motion.
5) Predict how temperature, pressure, and particle motion are all related to one another by drawing a line
to complete each graph below.
Pressure
Temperature
6) Explain each relationship above as either direct or indirect and explain what those terms mean.
Goal 2: Illustrate the flow of thermal energy between two regions with different temperatures.
7) Use arrows to indicate pathways between regions of thermal energy flow in each picture below.
Goal 6: Demonstrate how mass and the type of matter affect temperature.
8) You have taken a recent interest in cooking and have signed up at the local YMCA to take some cooking
classes. Your cooking instructor has asked you to purchase your own pots and pans. When you get to
the store you see pots and pans WITH and WITHOUT rubber handles. The price between them isn’t
significant where you would be considering saving a buck. So, would you be better off purchasing the
pots and pans with the bare metal or the rubber? Explain why in terms of the material and thermal
energy transfer.
9) During the winter, you are trying to keep your hands warm by warming a piece of non-toxic metal to
hold. The non-toxic metal pieces you found are 12 grams and 76 grams. Both pieces are made of the
same material and are heated to the same temperature.
a) Which piece could help keep your hands cold longer?
b) Explain why your choice would be better than the other.
c) Explain what will happen to the particles in the metal and the particles in your hands and why.