If temperatures are averages, how come we don’t get burned by the hotter particles (in a drink for example) ?

Question

If temperatures are averages, how come we don’t get burned by the hotter particles (in a drink for example) ?

In: 6

Answer 1

A burn happens when your molecules are shaken up too much by heat. This doesn’t happen all at once. There are faster and slower molecules in you, too.

Even when you’re being burned, most of the molecules are not being shaken apart. Just a few at a time. The highest-energy ones.

If something’s not hot enough to char, then even it’s higher-energy particles aren’t fast enough to break apart.