We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Physics

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Thermal Equilibrium?

Daniel Liden
By
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 49,689
Share

Thermal equilibrium is achieved when two objects or systems reach the same temperature and cease to exchange energy through heat. When two objects are placed together, the object with more heat energy will lose that energy to the object with less heat energy. Eventually, their temperatures will be equal and they will cease to exchange heat energy as neither object is warmer or cooler than the other. At this point, they are in a state of thermal equilibrium.

Thermal contact is an important concept relating to thermal equilibrium. Multiple systems are considered to be in thermal contact if they are capable of affecting the others' temperatures. If a bottle of soda is removed from the refrigerator and placed on the kitchen counter, which is at room temperature, the counter and the bottle of soda are in thermal contact. Heat energy from the counter flows to the cold bottle of soda. Eventually, their temperatures will be equal and they will be in a state of thermal equilibrium.

In thermal systems involving objects in thermal contact, heat flows from the warmer object, which contains more thermal energy, to the cooler object, which contains less thermal energy. Therefore, objects and systems can either gain or lose heat. They technically can not gain or lose cold, though, as there is no separate “cold energy.” In a thermal system, the warmer object loses heat energy to the cooler object until equilibrium is achieved.

The concept of thermal equilibrium is most often used and studied in the field of chemistry, particularly in the study of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is usually taught at an introductory level in high school chemistry courses, but it is a very complex topic that is not fully explained to students until advanced chemistry and physics classes in college.

Along with its place in the lab, thermal equilibrium has a very important place in nature. Chemical systems exist in many living and nonliving things in nature, and keeping those systems in a state of equilibrium is very important. In the human body, for example, enzymes are involved in countless chemical reactions that are vital to life. Enzymes, however, become useless when they reach too high or too low of a temperature. They must remain at a constant equilibrium to remain functional, and they must remain functional for the human body itself to function.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Daniel Liden
By Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden, a talented writer with a passion for cutting-edge topics and data analysis, brings a unique perspective to his work. With a diverse academic background, he crafts compelling content on complex subjects, showcasing his ability to effectively communicate intricate ideas. He is skilled at understanding and connecting with target audiences, making him a valuable contributor.
Discussion Comments
By anon313767 — On Jan 14, 2013

How can you find out how long it takes for two objects to reach thermal equilibrium?

By anon297275 — On Oct 15, 2012

Yes, please explain, when thermal equilibrium has been reached, are there still heat transfers between the two bodies to maintain that equilibrium or does transfer completely stop? --Saborknight

By anon155732 — On Feb 24, 2011

when thermal equilibrium is achieved, there's no heat transfer anymore between the two bodies. is it true? can you explain a little bit more detail?

By ValleyFiah — On Jun 05, 2010

@ Babalaas - Great questions! To answer your first question "does thermal equilibrium...explain condensation", the answer is yes and no. Condensation forms due to the thermal properties of gases. Air has some moisture in it, and it wants to contract as it gets colder and expand as it warms. Thermal equilibrium causes air to heat and cool but the contraction of the air, and the subsequent gathering of the water molecules, is what causes the condensation to form on the cold surface of the soda bottle. Now I will try to answer your second inquiry. I love to cook, so the first example of thermal equilibrium that comes to mind would be thawing foods and heating water. Thermal equilibrium explains why it is quicker to thaw food in ice water as well as boil water hot from the tap rather than cold. The greater the difference in the temperature of two items the more energy that must be exchanged to create equilibrium. Basically the more energy exchanged the longer to reach equilibrium if time is a constant.

By Babalaas — On Jun 05, 2010

Wow, I never realized how in-depth the human understanding of heat is. I am not that scientifically inclined, so this article was very interesting to me. Does the thermal equilibrium property explain how that same bottle of soda placed on the counter top begins to condensate as it warms to room temperature? What are some other real world examples of how thermal equilibrium works? This stuff is so interesting it makes me want to brush up on my chemistry. It has been so long since I have studied this stuff.

Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden, a talented writer with a passion for cutting-edge topics and data analysis, brings a unique perspective to...
Learn more
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-is-thermal-equilibrium.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.