Question

The internal energy of a system ________.

a. refers only to the energies of the nuclei of the atoms of the component molecules
b. is the sum of the potential and kinetic energies of the components
c. is the sum of the kinetic energy of all of its components
d. is the sum of the rotational, vibrational, and translational energies of all of its components

Answer 1

The internal energy of a system is the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of its atoms and molecules, including energy from molecular motion and is independent of the path of energy transfer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The internal energy of a system is a key concept in thermodynamics. According to the information provided, the internal energy of a system, often denoted as Internal Energy U, is the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of the system's atoms and molecules. This includes energy due to molecular rotation, vibration, and translational motion. Moreover, internal energy is path independent and depends only on the state variables of the system such as pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T), not on how the energy enters or leaves the system.

Additionally, it's important to note that internal energy is different from thermal energy. While thermal energy refers to the average kinetic energy of the system's constituent particles, internal energy includes both the kinetic and potential energies of these particles.