Thermal Physics

Internal Energy: the sum of the microscopic random

kinetic energies and the microscopic potential energies
of the molecules of the system.

U=sum of microscopic KE + sum of microscopic

PE
Temperature: measure of the average kinetic energies
of the molecules that make up the body.

Increase in internal KE=increase in temperature

But increase in U increase in T
Increase in PE=NO increase in temperature!
Thermal Equilibirum: Two objects are said to be in
thermal equilibrium if they are in thermal contact and
there is no net exchange of thermal energy between
them.

In thermal eqm=same temperature

HEAT: the transfer of energy between a system and its
environment due to a difference in temperature
between them.
ZEROTH LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS: If objects A and B
are separately in thermal eqm with a third body C, then
A and B are also in thermal eqm with each other.

THERMOMETERS AND THERMOMETRIC PROPERTIES

Liquid in glass----------------length of liquid in capillary
Thermocouple--------------emf between junctions of a wire at different
temperatures
Thermistor----------------------resistance of semiconductor
Platinum resistance----------Resistance of a semiconductor
Constant volume gaspressure of a fixed mass of gas at constant volume
ODT-------------------------electrical resistance of a semiconductor crystal

1.

Centigrage scale[empirical scale]

Centigrade temperature =[(X

-X0)/(X100-X0)]x 100
where X=thermometric property. graph of
X against is linear.
EMPIRICAL SCALE: BASED ON
EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENTS OF
SPECIFIC THERMOMETRIC PROPERTIES
2. Kelvin Scale [Absolute scale]
Absolute Zero: lowest possible temperature. At this
temperature, all substances have minimum internal
energy.

3. Thermodynamic Scale [Absolute Scale]

It is an absolute scale as it is a theoretical scale
independent of thermometric properties of any
substance or empirical results.
Heat Capacity: amount of energy needed to raise the
temperature of the object by one unit of temperature.
[J K^-1]

Specific Heat Capacity: energy per unit mass needed to

raise the temperature of the substance by one unit of
temperature. [J kg^-1 K^-1]
IMPORTANT FORMULA: Q=mc T or Q=C
Celsius!]

T [use K not

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY:
1)2 Bodies Problems
Energy lost by the hotter object=Energy gained by
the colder object

mxcx(Tx,i-Tf)=mycy(Tf -Ty,i)
2)3 or more Bodies Problems

m1c1(T1,i-Tf)+ m2c2(T2,i-Tf)++
mxcx(Tx,i-Tf)=0
Determination of Specific Heat Capacity (!!! See
pages 16-18)
Specific Latent Heat of Fusion, Lf : energy per unit
mass required to change a substance from solid to
liquid without a change in temperature.
Q=m Lf [J kg^-1]

Specific Latent Heat of Vaporisation Lv :energy per

unit mass required to change a substance from liquid to
gas without a change in temperature.
Q=m Lv [J kg^-1]

Determination of Specific Latent Heat (!!! See

pages 22-23)

By Conservation of Energy: IVt=(m2-m1)Lf or

IVt=mLv +ht