Page 54 - Science Course 1 (Book 2)

Mo8-L3a: What are the Uses of Thermal Energy?

Heating Appliances Key Concept

A device that converts electric energy into thermal What are the Uses of Thermal Energy?
energy is a heating appliance.
How does the bimetallic coil in a thermostat
Curling irons, coffeemakers, and clothes irons are responded to heating and cooling?
some examples of heating appliances.

A thermostat is a device that regulates the tempera-
ture of a system.

Thermostats

Most thermostats contain a bimetallic coil made of Heat Engines
two types of metal joined together and bent into a
coil.
A heat engine is a machine that converts thermal
energy into mechanical energy.
The metal on the inside of the coil expands and
contracts more than the metal on the outside of the
coil. When a heat engine converts thermal energy into
mechanical energy, the mechanical energy moves
the vehicle.
When a room warms or cools, the thermal energy
causes the bimetallic coil to uncurl slightly or tight-
en,which turns the furnace off or on.

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