What is internal energy in the context of thermodynamics?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the concept of internal energy within the field of thermodynamics. This refers to the total energy contained within a system due to the kinetic and potential energies of its particles, and it is a fundamental concept to understand energy transfer and changes within thermodynamic systems.
Answer
Internal energy is the total kinetic and potential energy of a system's molecules.
Internal energy is the sum of the kinetic energy from the motion of molecules and the potential energy associated with their vibrational and electric motion within molecules.
Answer for screen readers
Internal energy is the sum of the kinetic energy from the motion of molecules and the potential energy associated with their vibrational and electric motion within molecules.
More Information
Internal energy is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics representing the energy contained within a system due to the motion and interactions of its molecules.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse internal energy with external work or heat transfer, but internal energy specifically pertains to molecular energy content.
Sources
- Internal energy - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- Internal Energy - YouTube - youtube.com
- Internal energy & first law of thermodynamics - tec-science - tec-science.com
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