Temperature gradient

Imagine you're standing outside on a hot day. You feel really hot under the sun, but if you step under a tree or into a shady spot, you feel cooler. This is because there is a temperature difference between the sunny and shady areas, known as a temperature gradient.

Basically, a temperature gradient is the change in temperature over a distance. It can happen vertically, like when you go up a mountain and it gets colder, or horizontally, like when you walk from a sunny to shady area.

Temperature gradients can also happen in materials, like when you heat up one part of a metal rod - the area closest to the heat will be hotter than the other end, creating a temperature gradient along the length of the rod.

Scientists use temperature gradients to study things like heat transfer, weather patterns, and ocean currents. By understanding how temperature changes in different areas, they can make predictions and create models to better understand the world around us.