Thermodynamics Unit 4.2 vocab Flashcards
British Thermal Unit
(BTU) The US Customary unit of thermal energy; the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of pure water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Calorie
(C) A metric unit of thermal energy; the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of pure water by one degree Celsius
Chemical Energy
The energy associated with chemical bonds and bonding structure. This includes the energy associated with changes in phase from solid to liquid to gas.
conduction
The transfer of heat energy by physical contact
convection
The transfer of heat energy by moving a heated substance from one place to another.
density
mass per unit volume
Elastic Potential Energy
The energy that can be stored in the compression or extension of an elastic material (traditional springs included).
Electromagnetic Energy
The energy associated with electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetic waves.
Gravitational Potential Energy
The energy stored by an object’s position in a gravity field.
heat capacity
thermal capacity, ratio of the change in heat energy of a unit mass of a substance to the change in temperature of the substance
heat engine
a device that converts the energy of heat into mechanical energy
infiltration
A mechanism of heat transfer in which cold (or hot) outside air infiltrates a heated (or cooled) building displacing heated (or cooled) air.
Kinetic Energy
The energy of an object due to its mass and motion; calculated using the objects mass, m, and velocity, v.
K-value
A numeric expression of a material’s ability to conduct heat energy on a unit-thickness basis.
Mechanical Energy
The energy, which is possessed by an object due to its motion or its stored energy of position.
