Which of the following best describes temperature?

• A. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.
• B. Temperature is the amount of heat transferred between two objects.
• C. Temperature is the force exerted by particles on the walls of a container.
• D. Temperature is the total energy contained in a substance.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that temperature is a physical quantity related to the motion of particles in a substance.
2. Recall that kinetic energy is the energy associated with the motion of particles, and temperature reflects how fast these particles are moving on average.
3. Recognize that temperature is not the total energy of the substance, but rather an average measure of the kinetic energy per particle.
4. Distinguish temperature from heat, where heat is the transfer of energy due to temperature difference, not temperature itself.
5. Note that temperature is not a force, so it does not describe the force exerted by particles on container walls (which relates to pressure).