What Is Thermal Energy? — Reading Comprehension

Grades

Standards

MS-PS3
HS-PS3
RI.6.3
RI.7.1

About This Reader

This middle school science passage, 'What Is Thermal Energy?', introduces students to the concept of energy from particle motion inside matter. The passage explains that thermal energy depends on both particle speed and quantity, and that it transfers between objects by conduction, convection, and radiation. It clarifies the difference between temperature and thermal energy with real-life examples like hot soup, metal spoons, and campfires. Aligned with NGSS MS-PS3-3 and Common Core literacy standards RI.6.1 and RI.6.4, the passage includes 8 comprehension questions, vocabulary practice, and a fun science fact. Ideal for supporting energy unit instruction in grades 5–8.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Have you ever touched a warm mug of hot chocolate or felt the heat from the sun on your skin? That warmth comes from something called thermal energy.

Thermal energy is the energy that comes from the movement of tiny particles inside matter. Everything around us is made of atoms and molecules. These particles are always moving—even in solid objects! The faster they move, the more thermal energy the object has.

When you heat something, you're adding thermal energy. For example, when a metal spoon sits in hot soup, heat moves from the soup into the spoon. The particles in the spoon start to move faster, and the spoon feels warm. This is a form of energy transfer—from one object to another.

Thermal energy is related to temperature, but they are not the same thing. Temperature measures how fast the particles are moving on average, while thermal energy also depends on the number of particles. This means a large pot of warm water has more thermal energy than a small cup of hot water, even if the cup feels hotter.

Thermal energy can move in different ways—conduction, convection, and radiation. Whether it’s heating your hands near a campfire or warming soup on the stove, thermal energy is always at work.

In summary, thermal energy is the energy of moving particles inside matter. It helps explain how and why things heat up, cool down, and transfer energy in everyday life.

Fun Fact: Even ice cubes have thermal energy—their particles are still moving, just much more slowly than in warmer substances!

What is thermal energy?

The energy from the sun onlyEnergy stored in magnetsThe energy from moving particles in matterEnergy from light waves

What causes something to have more thermal energy?

Slower moving particlesFewer particlesFaster moving particlesMore color in the object

What happens when a metal spoon is placed in hot soup?

The soup cools instantlyThe spoon freezesThermal energy moves from the soup to the spoonThe spoon releases cold energy

How is temperature related to thermal energy?

They are exactly the sameTemperature is based on particle speed, but thermal energy also depends on how many particles there areThermal energy is another name for hot weatherThermal energy only matters in solids

Which example shows thermal energy transfer?

A flashlight turning onA book fallingHands warming near a fireSound echoing in a cave

Which factor does not affect an object’s thermal energy?

The number of particlesThe speed of particlesThe color of the objectThe temperature

Which of the following is true?

Only hot things have thermal energyEven cold objects have thermal energy because their particles are still movingThermal energy stops when something meltsGases don’t have thermal energy

What is the main idea of the passage?

Heat is the same as lightThermal energy causes things to moveThermal energy is the energy of moving particles and how it transfers between objectsTemperature is a type of matter