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internal energy

File:Carnot_heat_engine_2.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ180241· pop 68· linked from 457 articles

internal energy

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Also known as thermodynamic energy

energy contained in a system, excluding energy due to its position as a body in external force fields or its overall motion

AI overview

Internal energy is the total energy stored inside a system from the motion and interactions of its particles, not counting the energy from where the system sits or how fast it's moving as a whole. It matters because understanding what energy is actually available inside a system helps us predict how it will behave when it heats up, cools down, or undergoes chemical changes.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

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System properties

Note: Conjugate variables in italics

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