What is thermal motion?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Thermal motion is the random movement of atoms, molecules or particles within an object or system, due to heat or temperature. The movement becomes more active as temperature increases.

Step by step solution

01

Defining 'thermal'

The word 'thermal' is related to heat. It is used to define something caused by heat or related to temperature.
02

Defining 'motion'

The term 'motion' in physics refers to the change in position of an object with respect to its surroundings and its time.
03

Understanding 'thermal motion'

So, 'Thermal Motion' refers to the movement caused by heat. More precisely, it is the random movement of atoms, molecules or particles within an object or system, caused by heat or temperature. It's also known as Brownian motion.
04

Elaborating on 'thermal motion'

This movement becomes more active and vigorous as we increase the temperature. This is because increasing temperature means increasing the heat energy, which consequently increases the energy of particles causing them to move more rapidly and randomly.

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