Term | Definition |
Energy | The ability to do work or cause change. |
State | The form in which matter exists. |
Solid | Matter that has a definite shape and definite volume. |
Liquid | Matter that has definite volume but no shape of its own. |
Gas | Matter that has neither a definite shape nor a definite volume. |
Freezing Point | The temperature at which a solid freezes. |
Boiling Point | The temperature at which a liquid boils. |
Potential Energy | Energy that results from the position or shape of an object (i.e., a book on a shelf). |
Kinetic Energy | The energy that results from the motion of an object (i.e., a moving train). |
Nuclear Energy | Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom and released during a nuclear reaction. |
Thermal Energy | The total kinetic energy and potential energy of particles in an object (particles in objects are constantly in motion). |
Electrical Energy | Energy of electric charges (i.e., batteries, lightning). |
Electromagnetic Energy | A form of energy that travels through space in waves (i.e., the light you can see). |
Chemical Energy | The potential energy stored in chemical bonds, which hold atoms together (i.e., food). |
Energy Transformation | A change from one form of energy to another form of energy. |
Law of Conservation of Energy | The scientific principle that energy is neither lost nor created during transformation. |
Friction | The force that one surface exerts on another surface when two surfaces rub against each other. |