Thermodynamics Vocabulary

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Instructions: Master the vocabulary of heat, energy, and work with terms from the fascinating science of thermodynamics.

1.
What is 'thermodynamics'?
A
The study of hot springs
B
The study of dynamic movements
C
The branch of physics dealing with heat, work, temperature, and energy
D
The science of thermal clothing
2.
What does the 'First Law of Thermodynamics' state?
A
Absolute zero is unattainable
B
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another
C
Heat always flows from cold to hot
D
All systems tend toward disorder
3.
What is 'conduction'?
A
Heat transfer through fluid movement
B
The transfer of heat through direct contact between materials
C
The conversion of heat to light
D
Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves
4.
What is 'convection'?
A
Heat transfer through a vacuum
B
The creation of heat from friction
C
Heat transfer through solid objects
D
Heat transfer through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases)
5.
What is 'absolute zero'?
A
The freezing point of water
B
The temperature of outer space
C
The boiling point of liquid nitrogen
D
The lowest possible temperature, where molecular motion theoretically ceases (0 Kelvin or -273.15 degrees Celsius)
6.
What does 'specific heat capacity' measure?
A
The density of a material
B
The boiling point of a liquid
C
The temperature of a substance
D
The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one unit of mass by one degree
7.
What is 'radiation' as a form of heat transfer?
A
Heat traveling through water
B
The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves, which can travel through a vacuum
C
Heat stored in batteries
D
Heat moving through solid metal
8.
What is 'enthalpy'?
A
The speed of a reaction
B
The pressure of a gas
C
The volume of a container
D
A measure of the total heat content of a system
9.
What does an 'insulator' do?
A
Conducts heat efficiently
B
Generates electricity
C
Resists the flow of heat, keeping warm things warm and cold things cold
D
Absorbs all radiation
10.
What is 'thermal equilibrium'?
A
When all objects are at absolute zero
B
The state when two objects in contact reach the same temperature and heat no longer flows between them
C
When ice melts completely
D
When a liquid begins to boil
11.
What is a 'Joule'?
A
A type of heat engine
B
A measure of temperature
C
The SI unit of energy, work, or heat
D
A type of thermometer
12.
What does the 'Second Law of Thermodynamics' describe?
A
Pressure and volume are always equal
B
In any energy transfer, the total entropy of a system tends to increase over time
C
Energy is always conserved
D
Heat flows from cold to hot naturally
13.
What is a 'heat engine'?
A
A type of thermometer
B
A device that converts thermal energy into mechanical work
C
A heater for buildings
D
A device that only produces heat
14.
What is 'latent heat'?
A
The heat from the sun
B
Heat that is visible as light
C
The heat absorbed or released during a phase change without a temperature change
D
The heat produced by friction
15.
What is 'thermal conductivity'?
A
The color change of a heated object
B
A measure of how well a material conducts heat
C
The weight of a heated object
D
The temperature of a substance

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