SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-heat-flows-hot-to-cold

When two objects touch, which way does heat flow?

From the hotter object to the colder one.

Start playing free

  1. From the colder one to the hotter one
  2. From the bigger one to the smaller one
  3. From the hotter one to the colder one ✔

Why: Heat is energy on the move. It always flows from warmer to cooler until both reach the same temperature. Temperature measures how hot something is, not how much heat it holds.

Huh, didn't know that: When two objects reach the same temperature, scientists say they are in thermal equilibrium.

The dad joke
Why did the hot cocoa share its heat? It had a warm heart.
Like this card?
Play the game

References

Answer: From the hotter one to the colder one. Heat is energy on the move. It always flows from warmer to cooler until both reach the same temperature. Temperature measures how hot something is, not how much heat it holds.

  1. NASA Glenn Research Center: Heat Transfer www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/heat.html
    Heat is always transferred from the object at the higher temperature to the object with the lower temperature.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

Think this answer is wrong? Tap "Challenge this answer" on the card in the game and tell us why.

Test yourself in the game

Flying & DronesWhat are standard sea-level temperature and pressure?Flying & DronesWhat is usually the first noticeable effect of dehydration?Flying & DronesIn the standard atmosphere, how much does temperature drop per 1,000 feet of climb?

That's stuff everyone should know.