Fundamental Principles of Matter and Energy

Fundamental Properties of Matter

• Matter: Everything that takes up space, has mass, and has inertia.
• Mass: The amount of matter present, measured in kg.
• Weight: Depends on gravity; it is the force of attraction that gravity exerts on a body.
• Inertia: Resistance of a body at rest to be set in motion, or the resistance of a body in motion to change speed or direction.
• Gravity: Force of attraction between objects.
• Density: The link between the body's size and its mass. Density = Mass / Volume.

Atoms and Chemical Substances

All matter is made up of atoms.

• Atoms: Made up of a nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons, and a shell, which contains electrons that are continuously moving around the nucleus.
• Chemical element: Consists of only one type of atom.
• Simple substance: Made up of one type of atom.
• Compound: Made up of different types of atoms.
• Transformation: A change. It can be produced by the action of physical agents.

Work, Heat, and Energy

• Physics work: Done when a force acts on an object and the object moves in the direction of the force.
• Heat: Related to thermal energy and the movement of the particles in a body.
• Energy: The capacity of matter to transfer heat or to do work.

Forms of Energy

• Mechanical energy: Kinetic and potential energy.
• Chemical energy: The energy stored in the bonds of atoms, released when burning.
• Thermal energy: The energy of molecules and atoms as they move.
• Temperature: The measurement of a body's thermal energy.
• Internal energy: Includes all the forms of energy that exist inside a body.
• Electromagnetic energy: Transported by electromagnetic waves.
• Nuclear energy: Released during the processes of nuclear fission.
• Electrical energy: Energy produced by a battery.

Energy can be transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

Sources of Energy

Non-Renewable Sources of Energy

These come from natural, limited resources, so they can run out over time.

• Fossil fuels: Formed from the remains of plants.
• Nuclear energy: Uses the energy released during nuclear reactions.

Renewable Energy

This comes from inexhaustible natural resources.

• Hydroelectric: Uses the potential energy of water moving downhill.
• Geothermal energy: Uses the Earth's internal heat to generate electricity.
• Solar energy: From the rays of the sun, transformed into electrical energy.
• Wind energy: Uses the movement of the wind to turn the paddles of a wind turbine.
• Tidal energy: Uses the movements of seawater.
• Biofuel energy: Comes from organic matter.