Final answer:
Thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. When objects at different temperatures come into contact, heat flows from the hotter object to the colder object, resulting in a transfer of thermal energy. This is why the object with the higher temperature always has more thermal energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules, while temperature is a measure of how hot or cold an object is. When objects at different temperatures come into contact, heat spontaneously flows from the hotter object to the colder one. This transfer of energy occurs due to the difference in temperature between the objects.
The particles of both objects can collide, and in these collisions, particles with greater kinetic energy transfer some of their energy to particles with lower kinetic energy. As a result, the average kinetic energy of the hotter object decreases, which leads to a decrease in temperature, while the average kinetic energy of the colder object increases. This transfer of thermal energy from the object with higher temperature to the one with lower temperature is the reason why the object with higher temperature always has more thermal energy.