temperature Measure of hotness expressed in terms of any of several arbitrary scales, such as Fahrenheit, Celsius, or Kelvin. Heat flows from a hotter body to a colder one and continues to do so until both are at the same temperature. Temperature is a measure of the average energy of the molecules of a body, whereas heat is a measure of the total amount of thermal energy in a body. For example, whereas the temperature of a cup of boiling water is the same as that of a large pot of boiling water (212°F,
Edward Teller.
COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY, BERKELEY, CAUF.
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temperature inversion ► Tempyo style I 1885
or 100°C), the large pot has more heat, or thermal energy, and it takes more energy to boil a pot of water than a cup of water. The most com¬ mon temperature scales are based on arbitrarily defined fixed points. The Fahrenheit scale sets 32° as the freezing point of water and 212° as the boiling point of water (at standard atmospheric pressure). The Celsius scale defines the triple point of water (at which all three phases, solid, liquid, and gas, coexist in equilibrium) at 0.01° and the boiling point at 100°. The Kelvin scale, used primarily for scientific and engineering pur¬ poses, sets the zero point at absolute zero and uses a degree the same size as those of the Celsius scale.
temperature inversion In meteorology, an increase of air tempera¬ ture with altitude. Such an increase is a reversal of the normal tempera¬ ture condition of the troposphere, where temperature usually decreases with altitude. Inversions play an important role in determining cloud forms, precipitation, and visibility. An inversion acts as a lid, preventing the upward movement of the air below it. Where a pronounced inversion is present at a low level, convective clouds cannot grow high enough to produce showers and, at the same time, visibility may be greatly reduced by trapped pollutants (see smog). Because the air near the base of the inversion is cool, fog is frequently present there.
tempering Heat-treating of metal alloys, particularly steel, to reduce brittleness and restore ductility. In tempering, steel is slowly heated to a temperature between 300 and 1,300 °F (150 and 700 °C), depending on desired properties, in an oil or salt bath and held for about two hours and then allowed to air cool. As steel is physically worked (e.g., rolling, wire¬ drawing, hammering), hardening takes place, and it grows progressively more brittle. Similarly, but more deliberately, heating and quenching increase hardness. Combined quench-and-temper heat-treating is applied at many different cooling rates, holding times, and temperatures and is a very important means of controlling the properties of steel.
Tempest, Dame Marie orig. Marie Susan Etherington (b. July 15, 1864, London, Eng.—d. Oct. 15, 1942, London) British actress. She began her career as an operetta singer, winning acclaim for her charming and high-spirited performances in Dorothy (1887) and touring the U.S. and Canada in the early 1890s in operettas such as The Bohemian Girl and The Pirates of Penzance. Turning to straight comedy in 1899, she appeared notably in English Nell (1900), Mrs. Dot (1908), and Hay Fever (1925).
Tempietto \tem-'pyet-o\ Small monument built in 1502 to mark the crucifixion spot of St. Peter in Rome. Designed by Donato Bramante, it is a circular, domed, unadorned masterpiece of High Renaissance archi¬ tecture. Its outer face is a colonnade of bare Tuscan Doric, the earliest modern use of this order. Because of its proportions, the tiny temple has the majesty of a great monument.
Templar \'tem-pbr\ or Knight Templar Member of a religious mili¬ tary order of knighthood established during the Crusades. At its beginning (c. 1119), the group consisted of eight or nine French knights who devoted themselves to protecting from Muslim warriors those on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They were given quarters near the site of the former Temple of Jerusalem, from which they derived their name. Taking vows of poverty and chastity, they performed courageous service, and their numbers increased rapidly, partly because of the propagandistic writing of St. Ber¬ nard de Clairvaux, who also wrote their rule of life. They flourished for two centuries, expanding to other countries, growing in number to 20,000, and acquiring vast wealth and property. By 1304 rumours, probably false, of irreligious practices and blasphemies had made them the target of per¬ secution. In 1307 Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V initiated the offensive that culminated in the Templars’ final suppression in 1312, including the confiscation of all their property and the imprisonment or execution of many members; their last leader, Jacques de Molay (1243- 1314), was burned at the stake.
temple Edifice constructed for the worship of a deity. Features commonly include a sanctuary and an altar. Ancient Egypt had two kinds of temple: mortuary temples for the cults of dead kings, with a chapel in which offer¬ ings were presented, and cult temples that held images of deities. The cult temple typically included a massive pylon entrance with a court leading to a hypostyle hall and, at the heart of the temple, a shrine for the cult image. Most Classical Greek temples were rectangular and built of marble or other stone on a low stylobate (stepped platform). A gable roof was supported by columns, with a portico at each end (amphiprostyle temple), a colonnade extending all around (peripteral temple), or a double line of columns all around (dipteral temple). An inner cella housed the image of a deity, and an
altar stood outside the temple. Roman temples were profoundly influenced by Greek style, but the altar was inside the temple and the colonnade was often reduced to a row of engaged columns. Hindu temples vary regionally, but generally consist of a towering shrine and a columned hall surrounded by an elaborate wall. Buddhist temples range from half-buried sanctuaries with richly carved entrances to single carved towers or statues. The Chi¬ nese and Japanese Buddhist temple is typically a one-story building of richly carved, painted, or tiled timber constructed around an atrium used for worship, though towering pagodas were sometimes built as temples over a shrine. In the Americas, Inca and Mayan temples were constructed of stone, often richly carved; they were generally stair-stepped pyramids, with the shrine at the top. See also synagogue.
Temple, Sir William (b. April 25, 1628, London, Eng.—d. Jan. 27, 1699, Moor Park, Surrey) British statesman. As ambassador to The Hague (1668-70, 1674-79), he formulated England’s pro-Dutch foreign policy and arranged the marriage between William of Orange and Princess Mary of England (later William III and Mary II). After retiring from politics in 1681, he wrote numerous essays that were collected for publication by his secretary, Jonathan Swift. He also wrote the acclaimed Observations upon the United Provinces (1673).
Temple of Heaven Large religious complex in the old outer city of Beijing, considered the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese archi¬ tecture. Its layout symbolizes the belief that heaven is round and earth square. The three buildings are built in a straight line. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (1420) has three concentric circles of massive wood columns symbolizing the four sea¬ sons, 12 months, and 12 daily hours; in a remarkable feat of engineering, they support the three roof levels and, in succession, a huge square brace (earth), circular architrave (heaven), and vast interior cupola.
The Imperial Vault of Heaven (1530; rebuilt 1572) is a smaller circular building constructed without cross¬ beams; its dome is supported by complicated span work. The Circu¬ lar Mound Altar (1530; rebuilt 1749) is a triple-tiered white stone terrace enclosed by two sets of walls that are square outside and round inside.