Question

1. what are the two factors that affect thermal energy?

Explanation:

Thermal energy (also called internal energy) of a substance is related to the kinetic energy of its particles. Two key factors affecting it are: 1. Temperature: Higher temperature means particles (atoms/molecules) have greater average kinetic energy, so thermal energy increases. For example, heating a liquid raises its temperature and thermal energy. 2. Mass (or amount of substance): More particles mean more total kinetic energy. A larger mass of a substance at a given temperature has more thermal energy than a smaller mass (e.g., a large pot of boiling water has more thermal energy than a small cup of it at the same temperature). Other factors like specific heat capacity (though it relates to heat transfer) and phase (but phase changes involve latent heat, while thermal energy in a phase depends on temp and mass) also interact, but temperature and mass are primary for a given substance/phase.

Answer:

Two factors affecting thermal energy are:

1. Temperature (average kinetic energy of particles; higher temp → more thermal energy for a given substance).
2. Mass (or amount of substance) (more particles → greater total kinetic energy; e.g., a larger volume of a substance at a fixed temp has more thermal energy than a smaller volume).