Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is. It tells us how much thermal energy the particles in a substance have on average.
It comes from Latin 'temperatura' meaning 'a proper mixture or adjustment', from 'temperare' meaning 'to moderate or mix correctly'. Over time, it shifted from 'balance of qualities' to the more specific idea of heat level.
A thermometer doesn’t measure 'heat' itself, but how fast particles are jiggling around inside a substance. That’s why two things at the same temperature can feel different—metal pulls heat from your hand faster than wood, tricking your sense of warmth.
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