Which term describes the energy transferred between objects at different temperatures?

• A. Temperature
• B. Thermal energy
• C. Heat
• D. Sublimation

Answer: (C)

Heat is the energy that moves between objects because of a temperature difference. It flows from the hotter object to the cooler one until temperatures equalize. This distinguishes heat from temperature, which is simply a measure of how hot something is, not the energy in transit. Thermal energy is the total internal energy stored in a system due to particle motions and interactions, which can change when heat is added or removed, but heat itself refers to the transfer process. Sublimation is a phase change from solid to gas and isn’t the general term for energy transfer between objects at different temperatures, though it does involve energy changes.