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Key Terms

PhysicsKey Terms

absolute zero: lowest possible temperature; the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases

Celsius scale: temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is 0 $°C$ and the boiling point of water is 100 $°C$ at 1 atm of pressure

condensation: phase change from gas to liquid

conduction: heat transfer through stationary matter by physical contact

convection: heat transfer by the movement of fluid

degree Celsius: unit on the Celsius temperature scale

degree Fahrenheit: unit on the Fahrenheit temperature scale

Fahrenheit scale: temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is 32 $°F$ and the boiling point of water is 212 $°F$

freezing: phase change from liquid to solid

heat: transfer of thermal (or internal) energy due to a temperature difference

heat capacity: amount of heat necessary to change the temperature of a substance by 1.00 $°C$

Kelvin: unit on the Kelvin temperature scale; note that it is never referred to in terms of “degrees” Kelvin

Kelvin scale: temperature scale in which 0 K is the lowest possible temperature, representing absolute zero

latent heat: heat related to the phase change of a substance rather than a change of temperature

latent heat of fusion: amount of heat needed to cause a phase change between solid and liquid

latent heat of vaporization: amount of heat needed to cause a phase change between liquid and gas

melting: phase change from solid to liquid

phase change: transition between solid, liquid, or gas states of a substance

plasma: ionized gas that is a combination of the negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ions

radiation: energy transferred by electromagnetic waves

specific heat: amount of heat necessary to change the temperature of 1.00 kg of a substance by 1.00 $°C$

sublimation: phase change from solid to gas

temperature: quantity measured by a thermometer

thermal energy: average random kinetic energy of a molecule or an atom

vaporization: phase change from liquid to gas

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- Authors: Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs
- Publisher/website: OpenStax
- Book title: Physics
- Publication date: Mar 26, 2020
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction
- Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/11-key-terms

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