Basic Theory
As distinct from a quantity of heat, temperature may be viewed as a measure of a quality of a body or of heat. The quality is called hotness by some writers.
When two systems are at the same temperature, no net heat transfer occurs spontanteously, by conduction or radiation, between them. When a temperature difference does exist, and there is a thermally conductive or radiative connection between them, there is spontaneous heat transfer from the warmer system to the colder system, until they are at mutual thermal equilibrium. Heat transfer occurs by conduction or by thermal radiation.
Experimental physicists, for example Galileo and Newton, found that there are indefinitely many empirical temperature scales.
Read more about this topic: Temperature
Famous quotes containing the words basic and/or theory:
“It is a strange fact that freedom and equality, the two basic ideas of democracy, are to some extent contradictory. Logically considered, freedom and equality are mutually exclusive, just as society and the individual are mutually exclusive.”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)
“Freud was a hero. He descended to the “Underworld” and met there stark terrors. He carried with him his theory as a Medusa’s head which turned these terrors to stone.”
—R.D. (Ronald David)