Physics Revision: Heating and Thermal Energy Transfers

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from a Physics Revision lecture on heating and thermal energy transfers.

Thermal Energy

Energy transferred from an area of higher temperature to an area of lower temperature.

Conduction

Heat transfer through a solid via particle vibrations and collisions.

Thermal Conductivity

A property of a material that determines the rate of heat transfer through it.

Insulator

A material that is a bad thermal conductor and prevents unwanted energy transfers.

Convection

Heat transfer in a fluid (liquid or gas) through the movement of the fluid itself.

Convection Current

The cycle of rising warm fluid and sinking cool fluid that transfers heat.

Radiation

Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves, including infrared radiation.

Infrared Radiation

A type of electromagnetic wave that is emitted by all objects and transfers heat.

Perfect Black Body

An object that absorbs all radiation incident upon it and is also the best emitter.

Thermal Equilibrium

The state when the energy absorbed by an object equals the energy it emits, resulting in a constant temperature.

Albedo

The Earth's reflectivity; surfaces like ice reflect more sunlight.

Greenhouse Effect

The process by which greenhouse gases trap some of the emitted infrared radiation, warming the atmosphere.

Thermal Conductivity (k)

A measure of a material's ability to conduct heat. Low values indicate better insulation.

Specific Heat Capacity (c)

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance; high values mean more heat is absorbed.

Emission

The process of radiating energy in the form of waves or particles

Absorption

The process of taking in or assimilating energy or radiation

Temperature Gradient

A difference in temperature between two points

Fluids

Liquids and gases are both 'fluids' because they are able to flow.

Density

The measure of mass per unit volume

Kinetic Energy

The energy an object possesses due to motion