Chapter 2: Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems Flashcards
energy
the capacity to do work or to transfer heat
heat/thermal energy
type of kinetic energy; the total kinetic energy of all moving atoms, ions, or molecules in an object/water/atmosphere
electromagnetic radiation
type of kinetic energy; energy travels in form of a wave and causes changes in electrical and magnetic fields.
kinetic energy
energy associated with movement
potential energy
energy which is stored and potentially available for use.
renewable energy
energy gained from resources that are replenished by natural processes in a relatively short period of time
nonrenewable energy
energy from resources that can be depleted and are not replenished by natural processes within a human time scale.
fossil fuels
oil, coal, gas (nonrenewable energy)
energy quality
measure of the capacity of a type of energy to do useful work
high-quality energy
concentrated energy that has a high capacity to do useful work (ex. very high temperatures, high-speed wind, burned gas or coal)
low-quality energy
energy that is so dispersed that it has little capacity to do useful work (ex. molecules moving in a huge lake)
first law of thermodynamics aka law of conservation of energy
whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, no energy is created or destroyed.
second law of thermodynamics
whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, we end up with lower-quality or less useable energy than we started with. (usually heat)
system
a set of components that function and interact in some regular way (ex. human body, river, economy, earth)
feedback
any process that increases or decreases a change in system
