What is Temperature?

You know ice is cold and hot tea is hot — but how exactly do we measure that? This 90-second narrated lesson explains temperature, the Celsius scale, and why 0°C, 37°C and 100°C are the three most important numbers to remember. Includes a quick quiz.

Class 6 ScienceClass 6 / Grade 6Ages 8–11
Lesson
🌡️ What is Temperature?
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You know that ice is cold and hot tea is hot. But HOW cold? HOW hot? Just saying 'very cold' or 'very hot' isn't precise enough — especially for doctors, cooks, and scientists. That's why we measure temperature.

What is temperature?

Temperature is the measure of how hot or cold something is. It tells us the degree of hotness or coldness of an object. The word comes from the Latin temperatura, meaning "a tempering or moderation."

Temperature is different from heat. Heat is a form of energy that flows from a hotter object to a cooler one. Temperature is a measure of how hot something already is — not how much heat energy it contains.

The Celsius scale

Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (°C). The scale was developed by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1742. He used two easy-to-reproduce reference points:

  • 0°C — the temperature at which pure water freezes (or ice melts)
  • 100°C — the temperature at which pure water boils at sea level

Between these two points, the scale is divided into 100 equal steps — that's why it's also called the centigrade scale (centi = hundred, grade = steps).

Important temperatures to remember

  • 0°C — Freezing point of water / melting point of ice
  • 37°C — Normal human body temperature
  • 100°C — Boiling point of water (at sea level)
  • −40°C — Approximate temperature in the coldest places on Earth
  • 5,500°C — Approximate surface temperature of the Sun

How is temperature measured?

Temperature is measured using a thermometer. A thermometer works because liquids expand when heated and contract when cooled. A thin glass tube filled with mercury (or coloured alcohol) shows exactly how hot something is by how far the liquid rises up the tube.

There are two main types: a clinical thermometer (used by doctors, range 35–42°C) and a laboratory thermometer (used in science, range −10 to 110°C).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between heat and temperature?

Heat is energy — the total kinetic energy of all the particles in an object. Temperature is the measure of how hot or cold something is — the average kinetic energy per particle. A large bucket of warm water has more heat energy than a small cup of boiling water, but lower temperature.

Why is body temperature 37°C?

Our body's enzymes — the proteins that run every chemical reaction in our cells — work best at 37°C. If body temperature rises or falls by more than a couple of degrees, these enzymes stop working properly, which is why fever above 40°C is dangerous.

Does water always boil at 100°C?

At sea level, yes. But at high altitudes like mountains, the air pressure is lower, so water boils at a lower temperature — around 90°C at 3,000 metres. This is why cooking takes longer in the mountains.

What is the Fahrenheit scale?

Fahrenheit is another temperature scale used mainly in the United States. Water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F. Body temperature is 98.6°F. To convert: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32.

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