Hot objects have high temperatures because temperature measures the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules making up the object. When an object is hot, its particles move faster—they vibrate, rotate, or move more rapidly—resulting in greater kinetic energy, which corresponds to a higher temperature. Essentially, a high temperature means the particles in the object possess more energy and move more vigorously on average.
Heat is the transfer of energy from a hotter object to a cooler one, caused by a difference in temperature. The higher the temperature of an object, the more energetic its particles are, and thus it has a greater tendency to transfer heat to its surroundings until thermal equilibrium is reached.
