17 Examples of Thermal Energy in Daily Life

In our practical life, we need real examples for everything. That’s why here we will show you the 17 best real examples of thermal energy.

Thermal energy is produced when the atoms and molecules in a substance vibrate faster as the temperature rises. The faster these particles move, the greater the object’s thermal energy. Thermal energy is also known as heat energy. 

The energy of a moving object is referred to as kinetic energy. Thermal energy is a type of kinetic energy because it is generated by moving particles.

Three processes exist for transferring thermal energy from one body to another. 

Conduction: In general, conduction is the process of transmitting energy from one particle of a medium to another, but in this case, each particle of the medium remains in its own position. Conduction is defined in physics and chemistry as the transfer of heat energy or an electric charge through a material. Conduction is possible in solids, liquids, and gases.

Convection: Convection is the process of transferring heat through the bulk movement of molecules in fluids such as gases and liquids.

Radiation: The emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or a material medium is referred to as radiation.

Now let’s see the examples of thermal energy in our real life

1. Examples of Thermal Energy: Boiling water on a stove

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Conduction, Convection, Radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	If you boil water on a stove there will occur 3 types of heat transfer. From the stove, radiation takes place. Conduction will occur on the metal portion. And in the water, convection will take place.

2. Examples of Thermal Energy: Solar Energy

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that is captured and used in a variety of technologies, including solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy, including solar water heating, and solar architecture. Instead of remaining close to the Sun, heat radiates away from it and into space. A small portion of this energy (heat) is converted into light and reaches the Earth. It is primarily composed of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. Thermal radiation refers to the transfer of heat energy in this manner.

3. Examples of Thermal Energy: Melting Ice

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Convection
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Ice melts when heat energy causes molecules to move faster, causing hydrogen bonds between molecules to break and liquid water to form. Water molecules absorb energy during the melting process. This is why an ice cube melts faster on the outside but retains its coldness and solidity for a longer period of time in the center.

4. Examples of Thermal Energy: Geothermal Energy

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Mantle Convection
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Geothermal energy is a type of energy that flows outward from deep within the Earth’s crust in the form of intense heat. This heat is primarily generated in the core.  This heat is generated primarily within the earth’s crust by the decay of radioactive elements found in all rocks. When heat is concentrated near the Earth’s surface, it can be used to generate energy.

5. Examples of Thermal Energy: Fuel Cell Energy

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Depends on the fuel cell type
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	A fuel cell that runs on hydrogen and oxygen. The chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidant gas is converted into electrical energy by fuel cells, which are electrochemical devices.  When a fuel cell operates, a significant portion of the input is converted into electrical energy, while the remainder is converted into thermal energy, depending on the type of fuel cell. In theory, fuel cells are far more energy-efficient than conventional processes: waste heat captured in a cogeneration scheme can achieve efficiencies of up to 90%.

6. Examples of Thermal Energy: Heat Energy In The Ocean

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Conduction, Convection
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) makes use of the ocean thermal gradient between a cooler deep and warmer shallow or surface seawaters to power a heat engine and generate useful work, typically in the form of electricity.  OTEC has a very high capacity factor and can thus operate in baseload mode. The oceans have enormous thermal energy storage potential. Because their surfaces are exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods of time, there is a significant difference in temperature between the shallow and deep water marine regions. This temperature difference can be used to power a heat engine, thereby generating electricity.  This type of energy conversion, known as ocean thermal energy conversion, can run indefinitely and support a variety of spin-off industries.

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7. Examples of Thermal Energy: Solar Cooker

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Radiation and Conduction
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	A solar cooker is a device that uses direct sunlight to heat, cook, or pasteurize beverages and other food materials. Working principles 1. Concentrating sunlight 2. converting light energy to heat energy 3. trapping heat energy

8. Examples of Thermal Energy: Rubbing Your Hand Together

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Conduction
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	The action of scraping the surface of your skin back and forth against each other causes the molecules in your skin to move a little faster when you rub your hands together. The higher the temperature, the faster the molecules move. As a result, the friction of rubbing your hands together warms them.

9. Examples of Thermal Energy: Heat Engine

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Convection
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	A heat engine is a system that converts heat into mechanical energy, which is then used to perform mechanical work. Some of the thermal energy is converted into work during this process by utilizing the properties of the working substance. A steam locomotive, internal combustion engine, and thermal power station are all examples of heat engines.

10. Examples of Thermal Energy: A cup of hot chocolate

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Convection
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	When the hot chocolate milk cools, it loses thermal energy because the particle movement is reduced. It absorbs no heat from the burning stove. As a result, it loses heat to the cold surroundings. As a result, the kinetic energy of its particles decreases, lowering the thermal energy of the chocolate milk.

11. Examples of Thermal Energy: Burning Candle

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Conduction, Convection, Radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Candles generate light by emitting heat. They are capable of converting chemical energy into heat. The heat from the flame vaporizes the liquid wax (turns it into a hot gas) and begins to break down the hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon molecules. These vaporized molecules are drawn into the flame and react with oxygen from the surrounding air to produce heat, light, water vapor (H2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2).

12. Examples of Thermal Energy: Electric Toasters

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Thermal radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	An electric toaster absorbs electrical energy and efficiently converts it to heat. To heat a piece of bread, a toaster uses infrared radiation (see How Thermoses Work for information on infrared radiation).  When you put your bread in and see the coils glow red, this indicates that the coils are emitting infrared radiation. The radiation gently dries and chars the bread’s surface. The higher the electric current and the thinner the wire, the more collisions occur and the more heat is generated.

13. Examples of Thermal Energy: Modern Home Heating Systems

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Convection
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Warm-air and hot-water heating systems are the two most common types of heating systems installed in buildings.  The first uses thermal energy to heat air, which is then circulated through a network of ducts and registers. Warm air blows out of ducts and circulates throughout the rooms, pushing cold air aside. The second, on the other hand, uses thermal energy to heat water, which is then pumped throughout the building via a network of pipes and radiators. The hot radiator emits thermal energy into the surrounding atmosphere. Convection currents carry the warm air across the rooms.

14. Examples of Thermal Energy: Baking in an oven

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	BAKING- is a method of cooking food that employs prolonged dry heat, typically in an oven, but also in hot ashes or on hot stones. Radiation is the primary source of heat.  Cooking times will be increased by fans within the oven due to air convection. BROILING is a method of cooking that involves directly exposing food to radiant heat.

15. Examples of Thermal Energy: CPUs and Other Electric Components

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Convection and Conduction
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	Because of the resistance in electronic circuits, CPUs, GPUs, and systems on a chip dissipate energy in the form of heat. There needs a fan or cooler to cool down the CPU and other equipment. A typical desktop CPU cooling system, for example, is designed to dissipate up to 90 watts of heat while not exceeding the maximum junction temperature of the desktop’s CPU.

16. Examples of Thermal Energy: The warmth from the sun

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Infrared Radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	The sun’s invisible waves are infrared, which has lower frequencies than red, and ultraviolet, which has higher frequencies than violet light. [Learn more about electromagnetic radiation] The warm sensation we feel in our bodies is caused by infrared radiation.

17. Examples of Thermal Energy: The heat from a heater

HEAT TRANSFER TYPE	Electromagnetic radiation
FIGURE
EXPLANATION	An electric heater is a piece of electrical equipment that converts an electric current into heat. Every electric heater’s heating element is an electrical resistor that works on the principle of Joule heating: an electric current passing through a resistor converts electrical energy into heat energy.