Energy and matter Vocabulary.docx

Module Vocabulary

Energy and Matter
Term	Definition
random motion	movement in all directions and at different speeds.
diffusion	the movement of substances from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
kinetic energy	energy due to motion.
thermodynamics	the study of heat.
thermal expansion	an increase in a material’s volume when the temperature is increased.
thermal contraction	a decrease in a material’s volume when the temperature is decreased.
temperature	the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a material.
condensation	the process by which a gas changes to a liquid.
vaporization	the change in state from a liquid to a gas.
potential energy	stored energy due to the interactions between objects or particles.
thermal energy	the result of the motion of all the particles, and the distance and attractions between those particles in the system.
closed system	a system that does not exchange matter or energy with the environment.
open system	a system that exchanges matter or energy with the environment.
source object	the object that provides energy for energy transfer.
receiver object	the object that gains energy from the energy transfer.
heat	the transfer of thermal energy from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. Heat can also refer to the amount of energy transferred during this process.
conduction	the transfer of thermal energy by collisions between particles of matter.
thermal equilibrium	when the temperatures of materials that are in contact are the same.
radiation	the transfer of thermal energy from one material to another by electromagnetic waves.
convection	the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of particles from one part of a material to another.
specific heat	the amount of thermal energy it takes to increase the temperature of 1 kg of a material by 1ºC.
thermal conductor	a material through which thermal energy flows easily.
thermal insulator	a material through which thermal energy does not flow easily.