Initial Temperature

Initial temperature is the starting temperature of a system before any changes or processes occur.  It is the temperature of the system at the beginning of an experiment, process, or scenario.  In thermodynamics and heat transfer problems, knowing the initial temperature is crucial for calculating changes in temperature, heat transfer, or final equilibrium temperatures.

For example

• When heating or cooling a substance, the initial temperature is the temperature of the substance before heat is added or removed.
• In mixing problems, where substances of different temperatures are combined, the initial temperatures are the temperatures of the individual substances before mixing.
• In chemical reactions, the initial temperature is the temperature at the start of the reaction, before any heat is released or absorbed.

The initial temperature is used in many calculations involving thermodynamics, heat transfer, and chemical processes.