What is thermal energy?
Thermal energy is generated and measured by heat of any kind. It is caused by the increased activity or velocity of molecules in a substance, which in turn causes temperature to rise accordingly.
When you feel a warm object, you are actually feeling thermal energy, which is the movement of molecules that make up the object. All objects possess thermal energy (even cold ones) since they have a temperature above absolute zero. Evidence of thermal energy can be detected by measuring the temperature of an object.
Intan 3N1