Unit 3: Energy and Society Flashcards
mechanical work
applying a force on an object that displaces the object in the direction of the force or a component of the force
energy
the capacity to do work
kinetic energy
energy possessed by moving objects
work energy principle
the net amount of mechanical work done on an object equals the object change in kinetic energy
potential energy
a form of energy an object possesses because of its position in relation to forces in its environment
gravitational potential energy
energy possessed by an object due t its position relative to the surface of Earth
reference level
a designated level to which objects may fall, considered to have a gravitational potential energy value of OJ
mechanical energy
the sum of kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy
thermal energy
the total quantity of kinetics and potential energy possessed by the atoms or molecules of a substance
nuclear energy
potential energy of protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei
energy transformation
the change of one type of energy into another
law of conservative of energy
energy is neither created or destroyed, when energy is transformed from one form into another, no energy is lost
power
the rate of transforming or doing work
kinetic molecular theory
the theory that describes the motion of molecules or atoms in substance in terms of kinetic energy
thermal energy
the total quantity of kinetic and potential energy possessed by the atoms or molecule of a substance
temperature
a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance
Celsius Scale
the temperature scale based on the boiling point and freezing point of water
Fahrenheit Scale
the temperature scale based on the boiling point and freezing point of brine
melting point
the temperature at which a solid changes into a liquid: equal to the freezing point for a given substance
freezing point
the temperature at which a liquid changes into a solid; equal to the melting point for a given substance
boiling point
the temperature at which a liquid changes into a gas; equal to the condensation point for given a substance
condensation point
the temperature at which a gas changes into liquid: equals to the boiling point for a given substance
heat
the transfer of thermal energy from a substance with a higher temperature to a substance with a lower temperature
thermal conduction
the transfer of thermal energy that occurs when warmer objects are in physical contact with colder objects
convection
the transfer of thermal energy through a fluid that occurs when colder denser fluid falls and pushes up. warmer, less dense fluid
convection current
current that occurs when a fluid is continuously heated; caused by warmer, less dense fluid being constantly pushed upward as colder, denser fluid
radiation
the movement of thermal energy as electromagnetic waves
thermal conduction
a material that is a good conductor of thermal energy
thermal insulator
a material that is a poor conductor of thermal energy
specific heat capacity
the amount of energy, in joules, required to increase the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1c*
quantity of heat
the amount of thermal energy transferred from one object to another
principle of thermal energy exchange
when thermal energy is transferred from a warmer object to a colder object, the amount of thermal energy released by the warmer object is equal to the amount of thermal energy absorbed by the colder object
thermal expansion
the expansion of a substance as it warms up
thermal contraction
the contraction of a substance when it cools down
fusion
the process by which a solid changes to a lid
heating graph
a graph that shows the temperature changes that occur while thermal energy is absorbed by a substance
cooling graph
a graph that shows the temperature changes that occurs while thermal energy is being removed from a substance
latent heat
the total thermal energy absorbed or released when a substance when a changes state; measured in jules
latent heat of fusion
the amount of thermal energy required to change a solid into a liquid into a solid
latent heat of vaporization
the amount of thermal energy required to change a liquid into a gas or a gas into liquid
specific latent heat
the amount of thermal energy required for 1 kg of a substance to change from one state into another; measured in joules per kilograms (J/kg)
specific latent heat of fusion
the amount of thermal energy required to melt or freeze 1 kg of a substance. measured in joules per kilogram (J/kg)
specific latent heat of vaporization
the amount of thermal energy required to evaporate or condense 1 kg of a substance. measured in joules per kilogram (J/kg)
electrical heating system
a system that uses electricity to produce thermal energy for heating
forced air heating system
a system that uses hot water to heat a building
geothermal system
a system that transfers thermal energy from under Earth’s Surface into a building to heat it, and transfers thermal energy from the building into the ground to cool the building
proton
a positively charged particle in the nucleus of an Atom
neutron
an uncharged particle in the nucleus of an Atom
Nucleons
particles in the Nucleus of an Atom, aka the Protons and the Neutrons
electrons
a negatively charged particle found in the space surrounding the nucleus of the Atom
Ground State
state in which all electrons are at their lowest possible energy level
excited state
a state in which 1 or more electrons are higher energy levels than in the ground stage
atomic number
the number of protons in the nucleus
mass number
the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
isotope
a form of an element that has the same atomic number, but a different mas number than all other forms of that element
radioisotope
an unstable isotope that spontaneously changes its nuclear structure and releases energy in the form of Radiation
radiation
energy released when the nucleus of an unstable isotope undergoes a change in structure
radioactivity
a process which the nucleus of an atom spontaneously disintegrates
nuclear fission
the decomposition of large, unstable nuclei into smaller, more stable nuclei
nuclear reaction
the process by which the nucleus of an atom sometimes changes
electrostatic forces
the force of attraction or repulsion due to electric changes
Strong Nuclear Force
the very strong force of attraction between Nucleus
Radioactive decay
the process by which a radioactive atom’s nucleus breaks apart and forms different atoms
Alpha Decay
nuclear reaction in which an alpha particle is emitted
alpha particle
a particle emitted during alpha decay; composed of a helium nucleus containing 2 neutrons
parent atom
the reactant atom in nuclear reaction
daughter atom
the product atom in a nuclear
transmutation
a nuclear decay process in which daughter atoms are different elements from parents atoms
beta decay
nuclear reaction in which a beat particle is emitted or captured
beta particles
a high energy electron or positron ejected or captured by a nucleus during beta decay
positron
a particle with a positive charge and the same mass as an electron
photon
a high energy particles with no mass
gamma decay
a reaction in which an excited nucleus returns to a lower, more stable energy state, releasing a very high energy gamma ray in the process
half life
the average length of time it takes radioactive material to decay to half its original mass
mass defect
the difference between the calculated mass of an atom, based on the nucleus and electrons present and the actual atomic mass
binding energy
the energy used to hold a nucleus together
mega electron volt
the energy required to accelerate an electron through a potential difference of 1 million volts
Chain Reaction
the repeated series of reactions in which the products of one reaction generates subsequent reactions
nuclear fusion
a nuclear reaction in which the nuclei of 2 atoms fuse together to form a larger nucleus
