The Science of Energy and Thermodynamics

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to energy, thermodynamics, and the professionalization of physics.

Thermodynamics

The branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy.

First Law of Thermodynamics

States that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Entropy

A measure of the amount of energy in a physical system that is unavailable to do work.

Motive Force

The force that drives machines and systems to perform work.

Mechanical Equivalent of Heat

The amount of mechanical work required to raise the temperature of a given quantity of water by one degree.

Natural Theology

The study of nature as a means of gaining knowledge about God and the divine.

Energy

The capacity to do work, adopted as a key term by physicists in the 1850s.

Sadi Carnot

A French physicist known for his theoretical analysis of steam engines and heat.

James Prescott Joule

An English physicist known for his experiments measuring the mechanical equivalent of heat.

Professionalization of Physics

The process by which physics evolved into a profession with specialized education, defined boundaries, and social authority.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

States that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time.

Cavendish Laboratory

The first purpose-built physics laboratory established in 1874 at Cambridge University.

Heat Death of the Universe

A theoretical state in the future when the universe has reached maximum entropy and can no longer sustain processes that increase entropy.