Kinetic energy (KE) is the energy of motion; potential energy is energy due to relative position, composition, or condition. The thermal energy of matter is due to the kinetic energies of its constituent atoms or molecules.

Temperature is an intensive property of matter reflecting hotness or coldness that increases as the average kinetic energy increases. Heat is the transfer of thermal energy between objects at different temperatures.

thermochemistry — study of measuring the amount of heat absorbed or released during a chemical reaction or a physical change. temperature — intensive property of matter that is a quantitative measure of “hotness” and “coldness”. joule (J) — SI unit of energy; amount of energy used when a force of 1 newton moves an object 1 meter, 1 J = 1 kg m 2 /s 2 and 4.184 J = 1 cal. kinetic energy — energy associated with an object's motion, equal to one-half the product of the object's mass and the square of its velocity, 1 2 m v 2 (where m = mass and v = velocity).