Internal energy

Definition

Internal energy is the total energy contained within a system due to the kinetic and potential energies of its molecules. This energy plays a crucial role in understanding heat transfer, work done on or by the system, and the behavior of substances during phase changes. The internal energy changes as heat is added or removed from the system and can be influenced by factors such as temperature, pressure, and volume.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Internal energy is a state function, meaning it depends only on the current state of the system and not on how that state was reached.
2. Changes in internal energy are calculated using the first law of thermodynamics, which states that the change in internal energy equals the heat added to the system minus the work done by the system.
3. When a substance undergoes a phase change, such as melting or boiling, its internal energy changes while its temperature remains constant.
4. The internal energy of an ideal gas is solely dependent on its temperature, whereas for real gases, it may also depend on intermolecular forces.
5. An increase in internal energy typically leads to an increase in temperature and kinetic energy of the molecules within the system.

Review Questions

• How does the first law of thermodynamics relate to changes in internal energy?
  • The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. It relates to internal energy by asserting that the change in a system's internal energy is equal to the heat added to the system minus the work done by the system. This principle allows us to understand how energy flows within a closed system and helps explain various processes, like heating or doing work on a gas.
• Compare and contrast internal energy with enthalpy in terms of their definitions and applications in thermodynamics.
  • Internal energy refers to the total energy contained within a system due to molecular motion and interactions, while enthalpy includes internal energy plus the product of pressure and volume. In practical applications, enthalpy is particularly useful for processes occurring at constant pressure, as it simplifies calculations related to heat transfer. Understanding both concepts is essential for analyzing different thermodynamic processes and systems.
• Evaluate how changes in temperature affect the internal energy of a substance during different phase transitions.
  • During phase transitions, such as melting or boiling, the temperature remains constant even as heat is added or removed. In this case, although the temperature doesn't change, the internal energy does because it's being used to break intermolecular bonds rather than increase kinetic energy. Evaluating this phenomenon highlights how internal energy is crucial for understanding thermal behavior in real-world applications, such as heating systems or refrigeration processes.

Related terms

thermodynamics:

The branch of physics that deals with heat, work, temperature, and the relationships between them.

enthalpy: A thermodynamic quantity that represents the total heat content of a system, equal to internal energy plus the product of pressure and volume.

heat transfer: The movement of thermal energy from one object or substance to another due to a temperature difference.