Thermodynamics Concepts
6 concepts · Grades 6-8, 9-12 · 7 prerequisite connections
Thermodynamics bridges energy and the microscopic world of particles. Temperature measures average particle kinetic energy, thermal energy is the total, and heat transfer is how thermal energy moves between objects. The three mechanisms — conduction (contact), convection (fluid flow), and radiation (electromagnetic waves) — explain everything from why a metal spoon gets hot in soup to how the Sun warms the Earth across empty space. These concepts connect back to energy conservation and forward into chemistry and engineering.
Concept Dependency Graph
Concepts flow left to right, from foundational to advanced. Hover to highlight connections. Click any concept to learn more.
Connected Families
Thermodynamics concepts have 6 connections to other families.
All Thermodynamics Concepts
Thermal Energy
The total kinetic energy of all particles (atoms and molecules) in an object due to their random motion.
Heat Transfer
The spontaneous flow of thermal energy from a hotter object to a cooler one until they reach thermal equilibrium (the same temperature).
Temperature
A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance, determining how hot or cold it is.
Thermal Equilibrium
Thermal equilibrium is the state in which objects in thermal contact have reached the same temperature, so there is no net transfer of thermal energy between them.
Specific Heat Capacity
Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius (equivalently, by 1 kelvin).
Ideal Gas Law
The ideal gas law relates the pressure, volume, temperature, and amount of an ideal gas in one equation.