Science · Matter and heat

Heat and temperature: the difference

Which is hotter, a glass of tea or a bathtub of lukewarm water, and which carries more energy? Find out that heat is energy being transferred, temperature measures the average motion of particles, and what thermal equilibrium means.

18 min
1 simulation
Mini quiz

Updated: 22 October 2026

Preview

The question

A glass of hot tea is much hotter than a bathtub full of lukewarm bath water. But which of the two carries more energy? In winter, have you ever wondered why a metal railing feels "colder" than a wooden bench standing in the same cold? In everyday language we use the words "heat" and "temperature" as if they meant the same thing, but in science they are very different.

Try it yourself

No account needed: change the values and check your answer. Some simulations ask for a prediction before they start; it doesn't matter whether it's right or wrong.

Number line

Temperature of the mixture

Move the marker in steps of 5 to the correct temperature and submit your answer.

Predict first

If you mix equal masses of water at 20 °C and at 60 °C, what do you think the temperature of the mixture will be?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re right; the simulation opens once you choose.

Lab

Same heat, different temperature

Open full page in the Lab →

Fig. 1Same heat, different temperature

Change the masses, heat: the joules match, the degrees don’t

36.0 kJ → A 54.4 °C · B 28.6 °C

Beaker A: Water0.25 kg

Beaker B: Water1.00 kg

Time elapsed60 / 120 s

Heat given

Same heat in both beakers

36.0 kJ

Temperature rise

+34.4 °C

+8.6 °C

Given the same heat, Beaker A warmed 4 times as much.

Beaker A · Water: 54.4 °C; m × c × ΔT = 36.0 kJ
Beaker B · Water: 28.6 °C; m × c × ΔT = 36.0 kJ

Heat is energy transferred (J); temperature measures the average motion of the particles (°C). The same heat is shared among few particles in a little liquid and among many in a lot; a liquid with a smaller specific heat warms more for the same heat.

Your own values

Type a number; a decimal comma works too. Mass and liquid are set per beaker; power, starting temperature and time are shared.

Beaker A

Liquid

Mass

Beaker B

Liquid

Mass

Burner power

Starting temperature

Heating time

Learn

Progress is kept on this page only; no points are given.

1Predict
2Try
3Explain

Both burners run at the same power for the same time. Beaker A holds 0.25 kg of water, beaker B 1 kg. When the time is up, which has warmed more?

The numbers come from one model: Q = P · t and ΔT = Q / (m · c). Specific heats (J / (kg · °C)): water 4186, olive oil ≈ 1970, ethanol ≈ 2440. The temperature stops at the liquid’s limit: water boils at 100 °C and ethanol at 78 °C, after which the heat goes into evaporation (latent heat: water 2257 kJ/kg, ethanol 846 kJ/kg); olive oil smokes at ≈ 190 °C and the model stops there. Heating of the beaker and heat lost to the room are ignored; in reality the liquid warms a little less. Bubbles and steam are only a display.

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Frequently asked

5 questions

Are heat and temperature the same thing?

No. Temperature is a measure of the average energy of motion of the particles and is measured with a thermometer. Heat is the energy transferred between two substances at different temperatures, from the hotter to the colder one; its unit is the joule.

When I touch ice, does the cold flow into my hand?

There is no such thing as flowing "cold"; heat always flows from hot to cold. When you touch ice, heat passes from your hand into the ice. Your hand feels cold because it is losing energy.

Does the hotter substance always give off more heat?

No. How much heat a substance can give off depends on how much of it there is, not just on its temperature. A bathtub of warm water contains far more particles than a cup of hot tea, so it can give off much more heat to its surroundings.

How long does hot tea keep cooling when left in a room?

Until the tea and the room air reach the same temperature. This is called thermal equilibrium. Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, heat stops flowing; it does not cool below room temperature on its own.

Does a jumper warm us up?

A jumper does not produce heat by itself. Your body produces the heat; the jumper slows down the flow of that heat to the cold air around you. That is why wrapping a jumper around a cold stone does not warm the stone up.