http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/chapter-11/deck/2867150
So what happens whe you touch a hot object?
When you touch a hot object you automatically pull your hand away without taking a second to think about it. This automatic reflex actions are known as collectively reflex arcs. When you touch somthing hot the sensory neurons send electrical nerve impulses from the spinal cord to the brain then the brain sends a response signal with the appropriate response, in this case would be too immediately withdraw your hand. The reflex arc is made up of five parts:
- Receptor - sense organ in skin, muscle, or other organ
- Sensory neuron - carry impulse towards Central Nervous System
- Interneuron - carry impulse within central nervous system
- Motor neuron - carry impulse away from central nervous system
- Effector - structure by which respond occurs.
What does this all mean in physics terms?
Hotter objects have a higher average kinetic energy and a higher temperature but the cooler objects have a lower average kinetic energy and a lower temperature. Temperature is ameasure of how much kinetic energy the atoms of that object have and therefore the hotter the object the more energy it will give off, the more electrons it will emit. Take into consideration conduction and convection; conduction is the transfer of energy from one object to another medium via direct contact, the atoms here just vibrate against each other and this can be seen in a hot pot of boiling water. Convection is the movement of a gas or liquid but not solids because the atoms cannot move.