Glossary
- Page ID
- 89943
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)| Words (or words that have the same definition) | The definition is case sensitive | (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] | (Optional) Caption for Image | (Optional) External or Internal Link | (Optional) Source for Definition |
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| (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") | (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") |  |
The infamous double helix | https://bio.libretexts.org/ | CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen |
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Word(s) |
Definition |
Image | Caption | Link | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Pressure | Absolute pressure is a pressure that is measured relative to an ideal reference, or absolute vacuum. It is the sum of the atmospheric pressure and the gauge pressure. Absolute pressure is ALWAYS a positive number. | ||||
| Absolute temperature | Absolute temperature, also called thermodynamic temperature, is the temperature expressed on the Kelvin or Rankine scale. Absolute zero (0 K or 0 R) is the minimum possible temperature. Matter at absolute zero is in the state of lowest possible (minimum) energy. | ||||
| Adiabatic process | An adiabatic process is a process, in which heat transfer does NOT occur between a system and its surroundings. | ||||
| Boundary | Boundary or system boundary refers to the surface that separates the system and its surroundings. | ||||
| Boundary work | Boundary work refers to the work done by a substance at the system boundary due to the expansion or compression of the substance. | ||||
| Chemical equilibrium | Chemical equilibrium is a state in which the forward and backward reactions proceed at the same rate, causing no net change of the concentrations in either the reactants or the products. A system free from chemical reactions is in chemical equilibrium. | ||||
| Clausius statement | It is impossible to construct a device that operates in a cycle and produces no effect other than the transfer of heat from a lower-temperature body (heat sink) to a higher-temperature body (heat source). | ||||
| Closed system | A closed system is a system of a fixed mass. Mass transfer cannot happen between a closed system and its surroundings. | ||||
| Constant-pressure specific heat | Constant-pressure specific heat is a property of a substance. It equals to the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one unit mass (i.e., 1 kg) of the substance by one degree in an isobaric process. | ||||
| Constant-volume specific heat | Constant-volume specific heat is a property of a substance. It equals to the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one unit mass of the substance by one degree in an isochoric process. | ||||
| Continuum | Continuum refers to a continuous homogeneous matter distributed throughout a system. | ||||
| Control volume | Control volume is also called open system. It is a selected region in space, which allows mass and energy to transfer across the boundary between the system and its surroundings. | ||||
| Cycle | A cycle consists of a series of processes. The final state of a cycle is always identical to its initial state. | ||||
| Density | Density is the mass per unit volume of a body or a system. | ||||
| Enthalpy | Enthalpy is a thermodynamic property. It is defined as the sum of the internal energy of a system and the flow work associated with the flowing fluid. | ||||
| Entropy | Entropy is a thermodynamic property, which quantifies the degree of disorder of a system resulting from the dispersal of energy and matter in a process. | ||||
| Equation of state | An equation of state is an expression that relates pressure, temperature and specific volume of a gas. | ||||
| Equilibrium | Equilibrium refers to a uniform condition throughout a system. | ||||
| Equilibrium state | An equilibrium state refers to a state of a system in equilibrium. | ||||
| Extensive property | An extensive property refers to a thermodynamic property of a system, whose magnitude depends on the mass of the system. Examples of extensive properties include mass, volume, internal energy, enthalpy, and entropy. | ||||
| Fusion line | Fusion line is a curve that represents the transition between the solid and liquid phases of a substance. | ||||
| Heat | Heat is a form of energy. Heat transfer will take place between two objects if they are at different temperatures. | ||||
| Heat engine | Heat engine is a device that produces work by absorbing heat from a high-temperature body (heat source) and rejecting the waste heat to a low-temperature body (heat sink). | ||||
| Heat sink | A heat engine, refrigerator or heat pump must operate between a high-temperature body and a low-temperature body. The low-temperature body is called heat sink. | ||||
| Heat source | A heat engine, refrigerator or heat pump must operate between a high-temperature body and a low temperature body. The high-temperature body is called heat source. | ||||
| Ideal gas | An ideal gas is a gas that obeys the ideal gas equation of state, Pv=RT. | ||||
| Intensive property | An intensive property is a thermodynamic property that does not depend on the mass of a system. Examples of intensive properties include pressure, temperature, density, specific volume, specific internal energy, specific enthalpy, and specific entropy. | ||||
| Internal energy | Internal energy is a form of thermal energy. From a macroscopic level, it is strongly associated with the temperature of a system. From a microscopic level, it is associated with the motions and structure of the molecules of a system. | ||||
| Irreversibilities | Irreversibilities refer to factors that render a process irreversible. | ||||
| Isentropic process | An isentropic process refers to a process that is reversible and adiabatic. The entropy remains constant in an isentropic process. | ||||
| Isobaric process | An isobaric process refers to a process whose pressure remains constant. | ||||
| Isochoric process | An isochoric process refers to a process of constant specific volume. | ||||
| Isolated system | An isolated system cannot exchange mass or energy with its surroundings. | ||||
| Isothermal process | An isothermal process refers to a process whose temperature remains constant. | ||||
| Kelvin-Planck Statement | It is impossible for any device that operates on a cycle to receive heat from a single reservoir and produce a net amount of work. | ||||
| Mechanical equilibrium | Mechanical equilibrium refers to an equilibrium condition, in which the pressure of a system has no tendency to change over time. | ||||
| Open system | Open system is also called control volume. It is a selected region in space, which allows mass and energy to transfer across the boundary between the system and its surroundings. | ||||
| Phase diagram | Phase diagram is a graphical representation of a substance's state (solid, liquid or vapour) under different conditions of temperature and pressure. | ||||
| Phase equilibrium | Phase equilibrium is an equilibrium condition. For a system consisting of a mixture of multiple phases, if the composition of the mixture remains constant over time, the system is in phase equilibrium. | ||||
| Pressure | Pressure is the normal force exerted by an object on a surface per unit area of the surface. | ||||
| Process | A process refers to the change in a system from one state to another state. | ||||
| Pure substance | A pure substance refers to a matter that has a homogeneous and definite chemical composition. A pure substance may exist in a single phase or as a multi-phase mixture. | ||||
| Quasi-equilibrium process | A quasi-equilibrium process refers to a process, in which all states are equilibrium states. | ||||
| Real gas | A real gas refers to a gas, whose pressure, temperate and specific volume behaviour cannot be represented by the ideal gas equation of state. | ||||
| Reversible process | A reversible process refers to a process that can be reversed without leaving any changes in either the system or its surroundings. In a reversible process, both the system and its surroundings can always return to their original states. | ||||
| Single phase | Single phase refers to the solid, liquid or vapour (or gaseous) phase that a substance exists at a certain condition. | ||||
| Specific boundary work | Specific boundary work is the boundary work done by one unit mass of a substance. | ||||
| Specific enthalpy | Specific enthalpy is the enthalpy per unit mass of a system. | ||||
| Specific entropy | Specific entropy is the entropy per unit mass of a system. | ||||
| Specific heat | Specific heat, also called heat capacity, is a thermodynamic property to quantify the energy storage capacity of a substance. It is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one unit mass of a substance by one degree. | ||||
| Specific internal energy | Specific internal energy is the internal energy per unit mass of a system. | ||||
| Specific property | A specific property is the corresponding extensive property per unit mass. Examples of specific properties include specific volume, specific internal energy, specific enthalpy, and specific entropy. Specific properties are intensive properties. | ||||
| Specific volume | Specific volume is the volume per unit mass of a system. It is the reciprocal of density. | ||||
| State | A state refers to a specific condition of a system that is described by a unique set of thermodynamic properties, such as pressure, temperature, specific volume, specific enthalpy, and so on. | ||||
| Steady flow | A steady flow through a control volume refers to a flow, in which the properties, such as the mass and energy of the control volume remain unchanged over time. | ||||
| Sublimation line | The sublimation line is the curve that represents the transition between the solid and vapour phases of a substance in a phase diagram. | ||||
| Surroundings | In thermodynamic analysis, the universe is divided into two parts: a system and its surroundings. Surroundings refer to the rest of the universe outside of the system. | ||||
| System | In thermodynamic analysis, the universe is divided into two parts: a system and its surroundings. A system refers to a selected quantity of matter or a region in space. | ||||
| Temperature | Temperature is a measurable thermodynamic property that indicates the hotness or coldness of a body. | ||||
| Thermal equilibrium | Thermal equilibrium is an equilibrium condition. A system in thermal equilibrium has a uniform temperature everywhere. | ||||
| Thermodynamics | Thermodynamics is a branch of science. It originally focused on the scientific theories of heat-work conversion, and the operations and efficiency improvement of heat engines. Nowadays, the applications of thermodynamics have extended to all fields related to energy conversion and conservation. | ||||
| Transient flow | A transient flow refers to a flow through a control volume, in which the properties, such as the mass and energy of the control volume change over time. | ||||
| Triple point | The triple point refers to a unique state of a substance, at which the three phases, solid, liquid and vapour, coexist in equilibrium. | ||||
| Vapourization line | The vapourization line refers to the curve that represents the transition between the liquid and vapour phases of a substance in a phase diagram. | ||||
| Work | Work is a form of energy that is transferred to or from a body by applying a force on that body along a displacement. |