For the purposes of thermodynamics, it is convenient to define all energy while in transit, but unassociated with matter, as either heat or work. Heat is that form of energy in transit due to a temperature difference between the source from which the energy is coming and the sink toward which the energy is going. The energy is not called heat before it starts to flow or after it has ceased to flow. A hot object does contain energy, but calling this energy heat as it resides in the hot object can lead to widespread confusion.