Meaning & use
thermal energy
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablephysics
The energy that a substance has because its particles are moving, often felt as heat.
Grammar: Uncountable: thermal energy, not 'a thermal energy'.
Patterns
- thermal energy from something
- produce thermal energy
- convert something into thermal energy
When you rub your hands together, friction converts kinetic energy into thermal energy.
The thermal energy of the ocean can be used to generate electricity.
Adding ice to a drink absorbs thermal energy from the liquid, cooling it down.
Common combinations
- generate thermal energy
- Power plants generate thermal energy by burning fuel.
- store thermal energy
- Some buildings store thermal energy in their walls.
- thermal energy transfer
- Conduction is one type of thermal energy transfer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- heat energy
- Heat energy is a more everyday term; thermal energy is the scientific term.
Word family
- thermal adjective
- Relating to heat.
Commonly confused: thermal energy or temperature?
thermal energy vs temperature
Temperature measures how hot something is; thermal energy is the total energy of its particles.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'thermal energy' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Thermal energy is the total energy from particle motion, which can be released as heat. Option A confuses it with temperature, and the others misuse it as a countable or animate thing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thermal energy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.