Thermal energy is present in all matter as it represents the internal energy of a substance due to the movement of its atoms and molecules. Common examples of things that have thermal energy include hot water, heated metal, the sun, and even our own bodies.
From least thermal energy to most: solid, liquid, gas. In solids, particles are closely packed and have the least amount of thermal energy. Liquids have more thermal energy than solids because their particles can flow and move around. Gases have the most thermal energy as their particles move freely and rapidly.
The rest of the thermal energy is typically lost as waste heat, which is dissipated into the surrounding environment. This heat energy is not harnessed to do work and is considered a form of energy loss in the system.
There are a number of principles associated with characterizing the phenomenon of thermal energy. They are generally though of being, and considered/evaluated under the heading of, heat transfer or thermodynamics. The most general answer is this: heat goes from where it's hot to where it's not. Obvious. A link is provided to the Wikipedia article on heat and on thermodynamics. Use them. And no, you won't get tricked. Promise.
Plasma's are the most energetic states we have discovered but the answer you are probably looking for is when the matter is in a gaseous state, that is when the atoms have dissociated from each other almost completely. But in plasma the particles that make up an atom have dissociated.
Thermal energy is present in all matter as it represents the internal energy of a substance due to the movement of its atoms and molecules. Common examples of things that have thermal energy include hot water, heated metal, the sun, and even our own bodies.
From least thermal energy to most: solid, liquid, gas. In solids, particles are closely packed and have the least amount of thermal energy. Liquids have more thermal energy than solids because their particles can flow and move around. Gases have the most thermal energy as their particles move freely and rapidly.
On Earth, the greatest source of thermal energy would be at the earth's core.
Thermal energy is the most difficult to convert into other forms of energy.
The rest of the thermal energy is typically lost as waste heat, which is dissipated into the surrounding environment. This heat energy is not harnessed to do work and is considered a form of energy loss in the system.
There are a number of principles associated with characterizing the phenomenon of thermal energy. They are generally though of being, and considered/evaluated under the heading of, heat transfer or thermodynamics. The most general answer is this: heat goes from where it's hot to where it's not. Obvious. A link is provided to the Wikipedia article on heat and on thermodynamics. Use them. And no, you won't get tricked. Promise.
Most of the potential energy will be converted to thermal energy in this case.
Plasma's are the most energetic states we have discovered but the answer you are probably looking for is when the matter is in a gaseous state, that is when the atoms have dissociated from each other almost completely. But in plasma the particles that make up an atom have dissociated.
An object with the most thermal energy would be something that is very hot, such as a burning star like the sun or a molten lava flow. These objects have high temperatures and therefore possess a significant amount of thermal energy.
This is the thermal energy from sun.
thermal/heat energy
Most of Earth's thermal energy is stored in the oceans. The top layer of the oceans absorbs and retains heat from the sun, while deeper layers circulate and distribute this heat energy around the globe through oceanic currents.