These are exact opposities - heat gain is an increase in energy that results in an increased temperature of the material. Heat loss is a loss in energy that results in a decreased temperature of the material.
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Heat gain refers to the process of gaining heat, typically from external sources like sunlight or equipment. Heat loss, on the other hand, refers to the process of losing heat, either through conduction, convection, or radiation. Both processes are important to consider in maintaining thermal comfort in a building.
Melting is a process that requires heat to change a solid substance into a liquid, so it is a heat gain process. Heat is absorbed to break the bonds between the molecules in the solid and allow them to move more freely as a liquid.
The two factors that affect the rate of heat gain or loss of an object through radiation are the temperature difference between the object and its surroundings and the emissivity of the object's surface. The temperature difference plays a role in determining the direction and magnitude of heat transfer, while emissivity quantifies how efficiently an object emits or absorbs thermal radiation.
A physical change in matter caused by a loss or gain of heat is called a thermal change.
Heat loss can be increased by increasing the temperature difference between the object and its surroundings, increasing the surface area of the object, and decreasing the insulation around the object. Additionally, air movement can increase heat loss through convection.
The term used to describe when heat gain is equal to heat loss is thermal equilibrium. This means that there is no net change in temperature because the heat gained by a system is equal to the heat lost by the system.