how does a thermostat make use of thermal energy?
104126
a thermostat measures the amount of thermal energy present.  one common type of thermostat uses two strips of metal with different coefficients of thermal expansion glued together.  That way as the temperature changes one strip changes length more then the other and they curl.
259706
1. a car uses mechanical energy to be able to move\n2. a flat iron uses electrical energy to be able to heat up\n3. an oven use heat energy to cook food\n4. a lamp uses light energy\n5. a sonar uses sound energy to map the ocean floor\n6. a battery uses chemical energy to produce electricity\n7. a nuclear power plant uses nuclear energy to produce electricity
391108
Are you mixing up a thermocouple for a thermal-switch. In all the applications mentioned above a thermal switch is used. The thermocouple is a lab device which is used to measure relative temperatures. A thermal-switch is an absolute device which either opens or closes at a given temperature.\n\nA thermal-couple is used to measure continuously the temperature while performing a experiment. It is usually attached to a component or surface being tested.\nThe results are compared to a controlled known temperature surface.\nUsually when testing to meet UL underwriters lab testing.
174163
thermodynamics?  heat transfer?  physics?
426078
well I think you are asking how to turn heat into energy.  what it dose is heats a jell in a tube and this heats water out side the tube and the water turns to steam that turn a turbine that turns a motor what produces energy. the water cools falls back into the tank and it get heated up again. so it is a never ending cycle.
945004
Some are photo electric...they turn light energy into electricity.\n\nSome are heat collectors...they store the heat and transfer it to the hot water heater.
316710
well energy is used only in the beginning to start the reaction. otherwise an exothermic reaction will give out tremendous amount of heat energy.
29543
Thermal energy is kinetic energy due to disordered motions and vibrations of microscopic particles such as molecules and atoms.
59686
There are several ways to do this:\n1. thermocouples\n2. thermionics\n3. thermophotovoltaics\netc\n4. thermal diodes
252829
what's the heat source?
370121
an air conditioner helps to maintain the room at  ambient conditions suitable for human comfort by monitoring the parameters like humidity,temperature,dust etc where as a refrigerator keeps the temperature within the system lower than that of the surroundings by using 2nd law of thermodynamics.
96708
The one that I would be most interested in using is geothermal energy. There are some really exciting new applications of geothermal energy for use in heating and cooling homes that essentially involve putting a heat pump deep enough underground that it reaches the soil zone where the temperature is constant year round. This results in having a source of heat in winter and a heat sink for cooling in summer. Every house should have one!!!\n\nSadly the new energy plan proposed by the administration cut geothermal energy research to ZERO.
882144
Thermal energy is the kinetic energy and potential energy of the molecules. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy per molecule.\n\nThe term "Heat" as uesd in this answer will refer to the change in the thermal energy of an object; thus the expressions "heat transferred" or "heat absorbed". A device used to measure temperature is called a thermometer.
776432
I am a HVAC trainer in the USA, and as such I have to explain the difference between energy (heat is a form of energy) and temperature. For the most part, my students do not posses any college background, and so I do my best to explain this in layman terms. There are chapters written on this subject, and to do it justice here …. well here goes.\n\nHeat is a form of energy, as is electricity, natural & propane gas, coil, gasoline, etc. Temperature is a measurement of how densely heat energy is packed into a substance. The more heat energy there is in a substance, the more vigorous the atoms and molecules will move. If the motion is vigorous enough, the substance can change its state and assume new characteristics (ice is different from liquid water, which is different from steam). \n\nThe temperature of a given amount of substance will increase as heat energy is added to that substance, and temperature will decrease as heat energy is taken (provided the substance does not change state). If a substance is at a temperature where it will change state, examples: ice~water @ 32deg F., …. and water~steam @ 212deg F. (at one atmosphere pressure), than the addition or subtraction of heat energy will cause the substance to change state, and the temperature will not change until the substance has finished changing state  “Sensible heat” is a form of energy that causes a change in temperature, “latent heat” energy causes a change in state.\n\n”Specific heat value” is the amount of heat energy it takes to rise or lower the temperature of one pound of a substance one degree F.  For instance, if we take one pound of ice at 0deg F., and put 1/2 BTU into that pound of ice, the temperature of that pound of ice will go up one degree F, thus .5 is the specific heat value of ice. If we continue to put energy into that ice, the temperature will go up one degree F. for every 1/2 BTU of energy we put in until it reaches 32deg F., at which time the ice will be at a temperature where it will melt if additional energy is put into it. We will have to put an additional 144 BTU’s to that one pound of ice at 32deg F., to change it into liquid water at 32deg F. \n\nOnce we have liquid water, we will have to put 1 BTU into that pound of water to raise the temperature 1deg F., thus 1.00 is the specific heat value of liquid water (please note: the specific heat value of liquid water changes slightly as the water’s temperature changes, but for most calculations, the constant “1.00” can be used). \n\nWhen the water reaches 212deg F. at one atmosphere (pressure at sea level), the water will once again be at a temperature where it can change state. As heat energy is added the liquid water, it will turn into steam. The amount of heat needed to change one pound of liquid water at 212deg F. into one pound of steam at 212deg F. is ….. ready ….. here it comes ….. 970 BTU’s …. That deserves a “wow”. \n\nThe reason I made such a big deal out of the 970 BTU’s is because it’s important that HVAC technicians and mechanics understand the concept that it takes a lot more energy to change the state of a substance than it does to change the temperature one degree Fahrenheit (or for that matter, one degree Celsius).
105798
Thermal energy is energy associated with temperature.  This corresponds to a measurement of how much the particles in a material 'wiggle'.  The more the wiggle the higher their temperature.  This wiggling causes the emmision of EM waves or light according to a blackbody curve.  Higher temps, with more wiggling, will emit more total energy and more photons at shorter wavelengths.  The hotter the object, the more infrared radiation it emits, however it will also emit more of every other wavelength too.  The peak wavelength shifts to shorter wavelengths ( higher energies) at higher temperatures.
482027
Heat is energy. It can be transformed from heat to another form of energy like mechanical energy, but the the second law of thermodynamics states that for a closed system entropy either increases or stays the same. This means that wasted heat energy in any system either increases or stays the same unless additional energy enters or leaves the system. If the system is the entire universe, then anytime work is done, either none or more heat is produced . . . the universe can't "unheat" or cool itself (as a whole). Pockets of the universe can reduce entropy, but only by shifting that entropy to another location in the universe.\n\nWhat does this mean? It means that all forms of work produce heat as a byproduct. Even wind produces frictional heat, and wind comes from temperature gradients (uneven heat). Electricity is produced by heat (even nuclear fission power or future fusion power heat water to produce steam to turn a turbine which turns a generator that produces electricity). Hydrogen is produced by reforming technology in refineries and requires heat. Hydrogen can be produced from water by using electricity which uses heat. Ion thrusters use electricity (currently from small nuclear power systems in space probes which produce heat to produce the needed electricity). \n\nI don't think that we're going to get away from heat energy anytime soon.
552465
To conserve body heat and energy.