Unit 7 & 8 Energy Transformations & Nuclear Energy

These flashcards encompass key vocabulary and definitions related to energy and energy transformations as outlined in Units 7 and 8.

Energy

The ability to do work or cause change.

Mechanical Energy

The sum of kinetic and potential energy.

Kinetic Energy

The energy an object has due to its motion.

Potential Energy

Stored energy that results from the position or shape of an object.

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

Chemical Energy

A form of potential energy that is stored in chemical bonds between atoms.

Nuclear Energy

The potential energy stored in the nucleus of an atom.

Electrical Energy

Energy caused by the movement of electrons.

Electromagnetic Energy

A form of energy that travels through space as waves.

Sound Energy

Energy caused by an object's vibrations.

Thermal Energy

The total energy of motion in the particles of a substance.

Temperature

A measure of the average energy of motion of the particles of a substance.

Heat

The movement of thermal energy between objects at different temperatures.

Conduction

The direct transfer of heat between substances by touching.

Convection

The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a liquid or gas.

Radiation

The transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves.

Conductor

A material that allows heat and electricity to pass through it.

Insulator

A material that does not allow heat or electricity to move through it easily.

Half-Life

Length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

Nuclear Fission

A nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits spontaneously or on impact with another particle, with the release of energy.

Nuclear Fusion

The process by which two or more small nuclei fuse to make a bigger nucleus.

Radioactive Decay

A spontaneous process in which unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation.