Which object has more thermal energy?
a 150-gram mug of cider at a temperature of 40°C a 150-gram mug of cider at a temperature of 30°C
The objects are identical except for their temperatures.
All solids, liquids, and gases are made of matter. Matter is made up of tiny particles that are always moving. The energy from the motion of these particles is called thermal energy.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the particles in matter move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature.
The two mugs of cider have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 40°C mug of cider is hotter than the 30°C mug of cider, it has more thermal energy.