2.1.3
Thermal Energy Transfer
Internal Energy
Internal Energy
Internal energy is the sum of the randomly distributed kinetic energies and potential energies of all the particles in a gas.


Particle energies
Particle energies
- Kinetic energy comes from the random movements of particles in a gas.
- Potential energy comes from the interactions between the particles.


Adding energy
Adding energy
- The internal energy can be increased by adding energy to the system.
- If you add heat to a system it increases in energy but NOT always in temperature.
Specific Heat Capacity
Specific Heat Capacity
The specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise one kilogram of material by 1 degree Kelvin.
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Heat capacity
Heat capacity
- Energy required = mass x specific heat capacity x change in temperature


Temperature
Temperature
- All temperatures should be calculated in Kelvin.
- For changes in temperature, the change in degrees is the same as the change in Kelvin.
Specific Latent Heat
Specific Latent Heat
The energy required to change the state of an object is the specific latent heat.


Changing state
Changing state
- To make an object go from a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a gas you need to add some energy. This energy is the latent heat.
- The energy goes into weakening the intermolecular bonds NOT into changing the temperature. The equation for the energy is:
- The energy needed = mass x specific latent heat


Kinetic energies
Kinetic energies
- When the latent heat is added to a solid to melt it, the bonds between molecules are weakened.
- Because all of the energy goes into weakening the bonds, there is no gain in kinetic energy and there is no gain in temperature.
1Space, Time & Motion
1.1Motion
1.2Forces
1.3Momentum & Impulse
2The Particulate Nature of Matter
2.1Thermal Concepts
3Wave Behaviour
3.1Oscillations
3.2Travelling Waves
3.3Wave Characteristics
3.4Wave Behaviour
3.5Standing Waves
3.6Simple Harmonic Motion
3.7Single Slit Diffraction
3.8Interference
3.9Doppler Effect
4Fields
4.1Circular Motion
4.2Newton's Law of Gravitation
4.3Fields
4.4Fields at Work
4.5Electric Fields
4.6Magnetic Effect of Electric Currents
4.7Heating Effect of Currents
4.8Electromagnetic Induction
4.9Power Generation & Transmission
5Nuclear & Quantum Physics
5.1Discrete Energy & Radioactivity
5.2Nuclear Reactions
5.3The Interaction of Matter with Radiation
6Measurements
6.1Measurements & Errors
6.2Uncertainties & Errors
6.3Vectors & Scalars
Jump to other topics
1Space, Time & Motion
1.1Motion
1.2Forces
1.3Momentum & Impulse
2The Particulate Nature of Matter
2.1Thermal Concepts
3Wave Behaviour
3.1Oscillations
3.2Travelling Waves
3.3Wave Characteristics
3.4Wave Behaviour
3.5Standing Waves
3.6Simple Harmonic Motion
3.7Single Slit Diffraction
3.8Interference
3.9Doppler Effect
4Fields
4.1Circular Motion
4.2Newton's Law of Gravitation
4.3Fields
4.4Fields at Work
4.5Electric Fields
4.6Magnetic Effect of Electric Currents
4.7Heating Effect of Currents
4.8Electromagnetic Induction
4.9Power Generation & Transmission
5Nuclear & Quantum Physics
5.1Discrete Energy & Radioactivity
5.2Nuclear Reactions
5.3The Interaction of Matter with Radiation
6Measurements
6.1Measurements & Errors
6.2Uncertainties & Errors
6.3Vectors & Scalars
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