So what the thermal energy equation tells you is the internal heat energy a system gives you due to the movement of particles/temperature. This heat is due to the kinetic energy in the particles. Q represents the heat transfer of a material that has a specific mass, m, specific heat, c, and some temperature or change in temperature, ΔT. For example, say you have an object of mass 1kg, specific heat 0.5J/kg°C and the temperature changes from 50°C to 100°C. To find the heat transfer you would use the equation Q= 1kg*0.5J/kg°C*(100°C-50°C). This would tell you that the heat transfer of this particle is 25J which means that 25J of energy are transferred from one point to the other in this system.
