Glossary
- absolute zero
- the lowest possible temperature; the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases
- Celsius scale
- temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is [latex]0 º \text{C}[/latex] and the boiling point of water is [latex]\text{100} º \text{C}[/latex]
- coefficient of linear expansion
- [latex]\alpha[/latex], the change in length, per unit length, per [latex]1 º \text{C}[/latex] change in temperature; a constant used in the calculation of linear expansion; the coefficient of linear expansion depends on the material and to some degree on the temperature of the material
- coefficient of volume expansion
- [latex]\beta[/latex], the change in volume, per unit volume, per [latex]1 º \text{C}[/latex] change in temperature
- degree Celsius
- unit on the Celsius temperature scale
- degree Fahrenheit
- unit on the Fahrenheit temperature scale
- Fahrenheit scale
- temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is [latex]\text{32} º \text{F}[/latex] and the boiling point of water is [latex]\text{212} º \text{F}[/latex]
- Kelvin scale
- temperature scale in which 0 K is the lowest possible temperature, representing absolute zero
- temperature
- the quantity measured by a thermometer
- thermal equilibrium
- the condition in which heat no longer flows between two objects that are in contact; the two objects have the same temperature
- thermal expansion
- the change in size or volume of an object with change in temperature
- thermal stress
- stress caused by thermal expansion or contraction
- zeroth law of thermodynamics
- law that states that if two objects are in thermal equilibrium, and a third object is in thermal equilibrium with one of those objects, it is also in thermal equilibrium with the other object
“Glossary” from College Physics 2e by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
