Heat is best described as
- A. the total energy contained in a body
- B. the temperature of a body
- C. energy in transit from a hotter body to a cooler one because of the temperature difference
- D. a fluid that flows between bodies
Explanation
Heat is a process word: it names energy while it is being transferred, which is why a body is said to contain internal energy rather than to contain heat. Temperature measures the average kinetic energy of the particles and decides which way the transfer goes. The old caloric fluid picture was abandoned once friction was shown to generate heat without limit.
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