🧲ap physics 2 review

Internal Energy

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examWritten by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025

Definition

Internal energy refers to the total amount of kinetic and potential energies possessed by all molecules within a substance. It includes both microscopic motion (kinetic) and forces between molecules (potential).

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