Cold

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cold

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is cold?Cold is when the tiny particles inside things move very slowly because they have less thermal energy. This makes the temperature feel lower.
2. Why does wind make a cold day feel even colder?Wind moves air around our skin faster, taking heat away more quickly. This is called wind chill and can make a -5 °C day feel like -20 °C.

Thermal Energy: The total kinetic energy of the random motion of atoms and molecules within a substance, directly related to temperature.
Absolute Zero: The theoretical lowest temperature (0 Kelvin or -273.15°C) at which particle motion is minimized, though quantum effects persist.
Zero-Point Energy: The minimum possible energy a quantum mechanical system can possess, even at absolute zero temperature, due to the uncertainty principle.
Wind Chill: A calculated temperature that indicates the apparent severity of cold when the wind speed is factored into the actual air temperature.