What is the temperature of a substance a measure of?

• A. The number of particles in the substance
• B. The average kinetic energy of its particles
• C. The total potential energy of its particles
• D. The total mass of the substance

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that temperature is a physical quantity that reflects how hot or cold a substance is.
2. Recall that temperature is directly related to the motion of particles within a substance, specifically their kinetic energy.
3. Recognize that the kinetic energy of particles depends on their speed and mass, but temperature measures the average kinetic energy, not the total or individual values.
4. Note that the number of particles or the total mass of the substance does not determine temperature; rather, temperature depends on how energetically the particles move on average.
5. Conclude that temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.