From the Eskimo in Alaska to the Nigerian living near the equator, people of various cultures are exposed to variations in temperature. Our early experiences help us to develop the concept of temperature as a measure of how hot or cold something is. Warmth may be associated with a season of the year or an object such as a stove or a fireplace. The measurement of temperature is important to everyday life, providing information about our health and regulating our outdoor activities with accurate weather reports.

Defining and Measuring Temperature

Temperature is the number assigned to an object to indicate its warmth. The concept of temperature came about because people wanted to quantify and measure differences in warmth. When an object with a higher temperature comes in contact with a cooler object, a transfer of heat occurs until the two objects are the same...