ABSTRACT
Energy is a foundational concept that unifies science. In chemistry, energy is the currency of nuclear, chemical, and physical processes. In this chapter, readers are introduced to the basics of kinetic energy and its relationship to temperature, and potential energy, the energy of configuration. These concepts are contextualized in tangible examples before turning to the concepts of heat and work, energy transfer, between the system and the surroundings. This discussion culminates in the first law of thermodynamics, which relates the change in internal energy (∆U) to the sum of heat and work. Attention is given to ensuring that readers have a clear sense of terminology, especially in terms of the direction of energy transfer, from system to surroundings or vice versa, and the corresponding naming conventions of exergonic and endergonic. A short discussion of energy sources also connects the more abstract ideas presented concerning climate change and decarbonized electrical grids.
