The more thermal energy an atom has, the greater its (?) will be
The correct answer and explanation is:
The more thermal energy an atom has, the greater its kinetic energy will be.
Explanation:
Thermal energy refers to the internal energy present in a system due to the random motions of its atoms or molecules. When an atom gains thermal energy, this energy increases the motion of the atom — specifically, its kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion.
Kinetic energy in atoms manifests as various types of motion:
- Translational motion — the atom moving from one place to another.
- Rotational motion — the atom or molecule spinning around an axis.
- Vibrational motion — atoms in a molecule vibrating back and forth.
As the thermal energy increases, these motions become more vigorous. In gases, for example, higher thermal energy means the atoms or molecules move faster. This increase in speed means they have more kinetic energy because kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of the velocity of the particle: KE=12mv2KE = \frac{1}{2} m v^2
where mm is the mass of the atom and vv is its velocity.
In solids and liquids, increased thermal energy causes atoms to vibrate more intensely around their fixed positions. The temperature of a substance is a measure of the average kinetic energy of its particles, so when an atom has more thermal energy, it usually means the temperature is higher, and the atoms move more energetically.
This relationship is fundamental to many natural phenomena. For example, heating a gas increases its pressure if the volume is constant because the atoms move faster and collide more forcefully with the container walls.
In summary, when an atom has more thermal energy, it means its particles are moving more rapidly and energetically — that is, its kinetic energy increases. This increased motion at the microscopic level is what we perceive macroscopically as higher temperature or heat.