Unit 5: Heat Conduction and Calorimetry

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards defining primary heat concepts, transfer methods, and thermal measurement properties based on the Unit 5 lecture notes.

Heat Conduction

The transfer of thermal energy through a material by direct contact between particles without bulk motion of the matter itself.

Calorimetry

The scientific technique used to measure the amount of heat energy released or absorbed during physical or chemical processes, typically using an instrument known as a calorimeter.

The Concept of Heat

Energy in transit due to a temperature difference between systems or a system and its surroundings, measured in Joules ($J$).

Heat transfer mechanisms

The physical processes by which thermal energy moves from one region to another, specifically identified as conduction, convection, and radiation.

Heat Capacity ($C$)

The physical property of matter that defines the quantity of heat, $Q$, required to produce a unit change in temperature ($\Delta T$), expressed as $C = \frac{Q}{\Delta T}$.

Specific Heat Capacity ($c$)

The amount of heat, $Q$, required to raise the temperature of a unit mass ($m$) of a substance by one degree, defined by the formula $c = \frac{Q}{m \Delta T}$.

Thermal expansion

The physical tendency of matter to increase in dimensions—including length, area, and volume—in response to an increase in temperature.

Change of phase

The physical transition of a substance between states of matter, such as solid $(s)$, liquid $(l)$, or gas $(g)$, which typically involves the absorption or release of energy at a constant temperature.