Temperature
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is.
A bowl of soup fresh off the stove has fast-moving particles inside. A bowl of ice cream from the freezer has slow-moving particles. Temperature measures how fast those particles move. The faster they move, the hotter the bowl feels.
Explaining temperature by grade level
Think about warm water and cold water. You can feel the difference with your hands. Warm water has more heat energy inside it. A thermometer shows us the same thing, but with a number.
Projects that explore temperature
Temperature changes can create fog. In this project, fog forms when warm, moist air is cooled quickly by an ice cube.
Temperature tells you how hot or cold the air is at a given moment. Tracking it over time reveals patterns that help explain larger weather changes. In this experiment, a thermometer joins four other instruments to build a daily picture of conditions.
Temperature measures how hot or cold something is, and extreme differences can change how devices perform. Batteries tested at room temperature (24°C), freezing (0°C), and extreme cold (-78°C) last very different amounts of time. Comparing results across temperatures and brands reveals which batteries hold up best in harsh conditions.
Even small shifts in temperature can change how everyday devices perform. Testing batteries at 18°C, 22°C, and 26°C shows whether a few degrees makes a difference. In this experiment, temperature makes only a small difference, yet one brand still outlasts the others at every setting.