Internal Energy
In thermodynamics, the internal energy is the total energy contained by a thermodynamic system. It is the energy needed to create the system, but excludes the energy to displace the system's surroundings, any energy associated with a move as a whole, or due to external force fields. Internal energy has two major components, kinetic energy and potential energy. The kinetic energy is due to the motion of the system's particles (translations, rotations, vibrations), and the potential energy is associated with the static rest mass energy of the constituents of matter, static electric energy of atoms within molecules or crystals, and the static energy of chemical bonds. The internal energy of a system can be changed by heating the system or by doing work on it; the first law of thermodynamics states that the increase in internal energy is equal to the total heat added and work done by the surroundings. If the system is isolated, its internal energy cannot change.
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Famous quotes containing the words internal and/or energy:
“The internal effects of a mutable policy ... poisons the blessings of liberty itself.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“I say, stamping the words with emphasis,
Drink from here energy and only energy,”
—Stephen Spender (1909–1995)