Module 5 Vocab Flashcards
Energy
The ability to do work or transfer heat.
Joule
The amount of energy used when a 1-watt electrical device is turned on for 1 second.
Power
The rate at which work is done.
Electromagnetic radiation
A form of energy emitted by the Sun that includes, but is not limited to, visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared energy.
Photon
A massless packet of energy that carries electromagnetic radiation at the speed of light.
Potential energy
Stored energy that has not been released.
Chemical energy
Potential energy stored in chemical bonds.
Kinetic energy
The energy of motion.
Temperature
The measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance.
First law of thermodynamics
A physical law which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can change from one form to another.
Second law of thermodynamics
The physical law stating that when energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes.
Energy efficiency
The ratio of the amount of energy expended in the form you want to the total amount of energy that is introduced into the system.
Energy quality
The ease with which an energy source can be used for work.
Entropy
Randomness in a system.
Open system
A system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries.
Closed system
A system in which matter and energy exchanges do not occur across boundaries.
Input
An addition to a system.
Output
A loss from a system.
Systems analysis
An analysis to determine inputs, outputs, and changes in a system under various conditions.
Steady state
A state in which inputs equal outputs, so that the system is not changing over time.
Negative feedback loop
A feedback loop in which a system responds to a change by returning to its original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring.
Positive feedback loop
A feedback loop in which change in a system is amplified.
