Temperature is a measure of how hot something is. It is a measure of the kinetic energy of the particles in an object, which is the speed at which they are travelling. If the particles are travelling quickly, then the temperature of the body will be higher, as the particles slow down so too the temperature is lowered. Temperature is different from heat in that heat is a form of energy and as this energy is transferred to another body it causes the temperature to rise.
| Scale | Named after: | Details |
| Celsius | Anders Celsius (1701-1744) | Freezing point: 0oC Boiling point: 100oC |
| Fahrenheit | Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736) | Freezing point: 32oF Boiling point: 212oF |
| Kelvin | Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) | Starts at the lowest possible temperature, called absolute zero, approx. -273oC |
