Glossary
Energy and Forms of Energy
Energy
The ability of an object or a system to do something (do work or supply heat).
Gravitational Potential Energy
The energy of an object due to its position (height) in a gravitational field. Near the surface of the earth PE=mgh. Sometimes the letter “U” is used instead of PE.
Elastic Potential Energy
The energy of an object due to the stretching and compression of a spring. PE=0.5*k*x2. Sometimes the letter “U” is used instead of PE.
Kinetic Energy
The energy of an object or system due to its motion (speed). For non-relativistic-speeds KE=0.5*m*v2.
Mechanical Energy
The sum of elastic potential, gravitational potential, and kinetic energy. ME=PE+KE
Internal Energy
The sum of all types of energy of the particles inside a system, excluding the kinetic energy due to the motion of the system itself and the potential energy due to the position of the system. Sometimes the letter “U” is used, but be careful to not confuse it with potential energy, which might be referred to with “U”.
Thermal Energy
The kinetic energy within a system due to the random motion of its particles. Sometimes the term is also used for internal energy (if there is no chemical reaction, no change in state, and no change in pressure) or for heat (which can be set equal to the change in thermal energy under the restrictions above). ΔEth=mcΔT.
Chemical Energy
The energy stored in the bonds of molecules.
Nuclear Energy
The energy released in nuclear reactions due to conversion of mass. E=mc2
Binding Energy
The energy needed to form a nucleus from separate protons and neutrons.
Forms of Energy Transfer
(mechanical) Work
The transfer of energy due to external forces acting on an object/system.
Heat
The transfer of thermal energy due to conduction, convection, or radiation.
Conduction
The transfer of internal kinetic energy from particles of one system to particles of another system through direct contact (collision).
Convection
The transfer of internal kinetic energy due to particles travelling between two systems.
Radiation
The transfer of energy due to electromagnetic waves.
Flow of Matter/Charge
Transfer of energy due to matter/charge leaving or entering a system.
Related Concepts
Power
The rate of energy transfer (Energy/time). P=ΔE/Δt, SI unit: watt
Enthalpy
The sum of internal energy plus the product of pressure and volume of a system. Usually referred to as “H“.
SI unit: joule.
Entropy
A measurement of chaos in a system. Usually referred to as “S”. SI unit: joule/kelvin
Temperature
A property of matter that can be measured with a thermometer. SI unit: kelvin.
Units of Energy and Energy transfer
joule
The SI unit for all forms of energy and energy transfer
calorie
“calorie” (lower case c). The historic unit defined as the energy needed to increase the temperature of one gram of water by one degree celsius. 1 calorie = 4181 joules
Calorie
“Calorie” (capital “C”) = 1000 calories = 1 kcal
kilowatt-hour
Laws
Law of Conservation of Energy
Various forms exist. In the videos, we used. Ef=Ei+Win+Qin, with W the work done ON the system and Q the heat ADDED to the system.
Work-Energy theorem
First law of thermodynamics
The law of conservation of Energy, only considering internal Energy for E. Often written with the work done BY the system instead of the work done ON the system. Ef=Ei-Wout+Qin
Bernoulli’s Equation
The Law of Conservation of Energy (with no change in temperature) PER VOLUME, useful for fluid dynamics and fluid statics.
Kirchoff’s Loop rule
A practical application of conservation of energy for electric circuits. The sum of all voltages around a loop is zero.
Electric potential or Voltage
Electric potential energy per charge. Sometimes, especially in Europe, written using the letter “U”. (Risk of confusion with potential energy and internal energy)
Hess’s law
The enthalpy change is path-independent (cf. Kirchoff’s Loop rule).