thermal energy and energy 2 Flashcards
What is thermal energy, and how does it differ from temperature?
Temperature measures the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance and thermal energy measures the total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.
How does the thermal energy of a hot cup of coffee compare to the thermal energy of cold glass of water?
When you have a hot cup of coffee, the coffee has a higher temperature, which means its particles are moving faster on average than the particles in a cold glass of water.
In contrast, a cold glass of water has a lower temperature, meaning its particles are moving more slowly.
What is energy, and how does it relate to the ability to do work?
Energy is the ability to do work and it is the work done by a force acting through a distance.
An example of an object with high kinetic energy
A speeding bullet
An example of something with high potential energy.
A stretched rubber band
Explain the concept of kinetic energy and provide an equation to calculate it.
Kinetic energy is energy possessed by an object in motion. The equation that can be used is: K.E. = 1/2 m v2.
Describe how potential energy changes as an object’s height above the ground increases.
You can explain with the Rollercoaster example seen in class.
Since the gravitational potential energy of an object is directly proportional to its height above the zero position, a doubling of the height will result in a doubling of the gravitational potential energy.
