Thermal Physics and Internal Energy

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts on potential energy, internal energy, heat transfer, and solar central heating from the lecture notes.

Potential energy (of molecules)

The energy due to intermolecular forces between the molecules.

Internal energy

The total kinetic energy and the potential energy of the molecules in the substance; also known as the thermal energy of the substance.

Thermal energy

The internal energy of the substance.

Magnitude of potential energy stored

A quantity that depends on the distance between the molecules or the particles in that substance.

Heat

The transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another.

Water (in central heating systems)

Substance used in cold countries to store heat in solar central heating system of houses.