Background on Heat Energy Concepts

Energy potential exhibits the ability for conversion among different energetic magnitudes. The
essential characteristic of energy conversion phenomenon is the ability to transform the potential of
any energetic magnitude (electric, gravitational, kinetic, magnetic, hydraulic, or electromagnetic
including thermal, etc.) into a different equivalent magnitude, among them mechanical work is of
paramount importance in everyday life.
The law of conservation of energy belongs to mechanics, so that kinetic energy, potential energy and
work are related to each other by this law. Since the three mentioned magnitudes are conservative or
non-dissipative magnitudes (no losses), the result of any balance between them, is strictly exact.
However, if a dissipative quantity intervenes in this energy balance relating any one of these
variables, then the balance is only accurate if the associated losses inherent to any non-conservative
magnitude are considered in the energy balance. This statement implies the fact that if any of the
mentioned mechanical magnitudes interacts with the heat (dissipative magnitude), then the energy
balance must take into account the losses inherent to the heat transfer.