GGR112H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Boiling Point, Kelvin, Gulf Stream
Document Summary
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy, or molecular motion, of individual molecules in matter. Heat transfer occurs from object to object when there is a temperature difference between them. The wind-chill factor indicates the enhanced rate at which body heat is lost to the air under conditions of cold temperatures and wind. As wind speeds increase, heat loss from the skin increases, decreasing the apparent temperature, or the temperature that we perceive. Scientists use the kelvin scale because temperature readings on that scale start at absolute zero and thus are proportional to the actual kinetic energy in a material. Principal controls and influences on temperature patterns include latitude (the distance north or south of the equator), altitude and elevation, and cloud cover (reflection, absorption, and radiation of energy). Altitude describes the height of an object above earth"s surface, whereas elevation relates to a position on earth"s surface relative to sea level.
