This diagram shows the structure of the Sun's interior. Two major regions inside the Sun, the convective zone and the radiative zone, are named for the way heat travels through them.
Click on image for full size
NASA

Thermal Physics

Physics also includes the study of heat and temperature. This study is called thermal physics. It helps us understand global warming, the way we get heat from the Sun or why water in the ocean moves.

To study thermal physics, you need to know about the temperature of things. There are three scales used to measure temperature: Fahrenheit, Celsius (or Centigrade), and Kelvin. In science, temperatures range a lot - from millions of degrees in the centers of stars to hundreds of degrees below zero on icy moons.

You also need to know how much heat an object is storing. Heat can flow from one object to another. This flow of heat can melt ice or make changes in our atmosphere that create thunderstorms.

Last modified May 28, 2010 by Randy Russell.

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