Glossary

Energy Use Investigation

Here you will find a list of terms and phrases explained in an easy to understand manner.

Temperature: The level of heat (thermal energy) in a substance, an object, or the surrounding environment as measured on a standard scale. In other words, temperature refers to whether something is hot or cold. See Thermometer.
Therm (pl. Therms): A unit describing energy contained in natural gas. One therm equals 100,000 Btu. See Btu.
Thermometer: An instrument, used to measure temperature, that is made up of a glass tube marked with a scale and filled with a liquid (e.g., mercury, alcohol) that rises in the tube as temperature increases. A thermometer may use either a Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin temperature scale. See Temperature.
Turbine: A machine that converts the kinetic energy of a moving fluid (e.g., pressurized steam) into mechanical energy (the rotating motion of a shaft).
Volt (abbrev. V; pl. Volts): A unit of voltage (potential difference). One volt is equal to performing one joule of work to move or separate one coulomb (6.25 x 1,018) of electrons.
Watt (abbrev. W; pl. Watts): A unit of power. One watt equals the production or use of one joule per second. See Kilowatt, Megawatt, Power.
Wind generator: A generator specifically designed to convert the kinetic energy in wind into electrical energy. See Generator.

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