Physics flash cards

Bimetallic strip

A bimetallic strip is used to convert a temperature change into mechanical displacement. The strip consists of two strips of different metals which expand at different rates as they are heated, usually steel and copper, or in some cases steel and brass.

Celsius Scale

A scale for measuring temperature in which the freezing and boiling temperatures of water are defined to be 0 and 100 , respectively. Two equivalent equations converting Fahrenheit to Celsius are. and. Fahrenheit, Kelvin, Rankine.

Calorie

A unit of heat

Thermal equilibrium

thermal equilibrium. The condition under which two substances in physical contact with each other exchange no heat energy. Two substances in thermal equilibrium are said to be at the same temperature. See also thermodynamics. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary.

absolute zero

Definition of the Lowest Possible Temperature. ... Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature. It is the point at which the atoms of a substance transmit no thermal energy - they are completely at rest. It is zero degrees on the Kelvin scale, which translates to -273.15 degrees Celsius or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thermal contact

In heat transfer and thermodynamics, a thermodynamic system is said to be in thermal contact with another system if it can exchange energy through the process of heat. Perfect thermal isolation is an idealization as real systems are always in thermal contact with their environment to some extent.

Internal Energy

Internal energy is defined as the energy associated with the random, disordered motion of molecules

Specific heat capacity

Specific Heat -- from Eric Weisstein's World of Physics. Thermodynamics. Heat Capacity. Specific Heat. The specific heat (also called specific heat capacity) is the amount of heat required to change a unit mass (or unit quantity, such as mole) of a substance by one degree in temperature.

Temperature

The degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment. A measure of the warmth or coldness of an object or substance with reference to some standard value. A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a sample of matter, expressed in terms of units or degrees designated on a standard scale.

Farenheit scale

The scale is now usually defined by two fixed points: the temperature at which water freezes into ice is defined as 32 °F, and the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 °F, a 180 °F separation, as defined at sea level and standard atmospheric pressure.

Thermostat

a device that maintains a system at a constant temperature. It often consists of a bimetallic strip that bends as it expands and contracts with temperature, thus breaking and making contact with an electrical power supply.

Kilocalorie

a non-SI unit of energy equal to 1,000 calories, used (now rare) in chemistry or physics; equal to 1 calorie or Calorie as used in nutrition. Symbol kcal.

heat

heat definition. In physics, a form of energy associated with the movement of atoms and molecules in any material. The higher the temperature of a material, the faster the atoms are moving, and hence the greater the amount of energy present as heat. (See infrared radiation.)

Kelvin Scale

n. (General Physics) a thermodynamic temperature scale based upon the efficiencies of ideal heat engines. The zero of the scale is absolute zero. Originally the degree was equal to that on the Celsius scale but it is now defined so that the triple point of water is exactly 273.16 kelvins.