Thermodynamics: Internal Energy, Heat and Work Problem

[AN630078]

Homework Statement

When revising questions from a textbook on thermal physics I came across the following problem;
"Distinguish using examples internal energy, heat and work. Of these which may be considered ordered rather than random?"

I am really struggling to find examples for each of these and cannot confidently distinguish which is random/ordered. My textbook is not particular detailed upon this topic and does not provide much clarity which I why I would really appreciate any insight that could be offered.
I have not learnt about the laws of thermodynamics but am marginally familiar with them from reading them in passing.
Thank you for any and all help

Relevant Equations

U=Q-W

Well, internal energy is the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of all the molecules within a given mass of a substance; this energy is associated with the random, disordered motion of the molecules.
An example of internal energy is compressed gases; since gases occupy the total volume of the container in which they are situated their internal energy will vary when their container is greater and will increase when it is smaller. This means that for a gas dispersed in a room it actually has less internal energy than if it were compressed into a cylinder, since its particles will be forced to interact more closely.
Another example may be a batteries; within the charged batteries there is internal energy, on account of the chemical reactions between the heavy metals and acids inside. This internal energy will be greater when its electric charge is complete and less when it has been used.

(I do not think these examples define internal energy adequately)

Heat is the energy transferred from one body to another as the result of a difference in temperature. An example of heat can be witnessed by placing a cube of ice into a glass of water. The heat energy from the water will eventually melt the ice; thus the water itself is a source of heat energy.
Another example, and perhaps the most obvious, would be the Sun itself. The Sun radiates heat in our solar system to warm planet Earth.
Even making a piece of toast is an example of heat; a toaster turns a piece of soft bread into a piece of crispy toast by drawing moisture from the bread using radiant heat energy.
I think that heat is random since heat transfer occurs spontaneously from higher to lower temperature bodies in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. In thermodynamics, work performed by a system is the energy transferred by the system to its surroundings. An example is a gas confined by a piston in a cylinder.
If the gas is heated it will expand, doing work on the piston; this is one example of how a thermodynamic system can do work. The energy of the gas is transferred to the piston in order to do work. (I do not think is a particularly relative of concise definition either).
I do not know whether work is ordered or random and I have been thinking about it for so long that I cannot firmly take a position in support of either.

These three quantities are linked by the first law of thermodynamics, which is essentially the application of the conservation of energy to heat and thermodynamic processes. The first law of thermodynamics defines the internal energy (E) as equal to the difference of the heat transfer (Q) into a system and the work (W) done by the system;

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[Chestermiller]

Homework Statement:: When revising questions from a textbook on thermal physics I came across the following problem;
"Distinguish using examples internal energy, heat and work. Of these which may be considered ordered rather than random?"

I am really struggling to find examples for each of these and cannot confidently distinguish which is random/ordered. My textbook is not particular detailed upon this topic and does not provide much clarity which I why I would really appreciate any insight that could be offered.
I have not learned about the laws of thermodynamics but am marginally familiar with them from reading them in passing.
Thank you for any and all help
Relevant Equations:: U=Q-W

Well, internal energy is the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of all the molecules within a given mass of a substance; this energy is associated with the random, disordered motion of the molecules.
An example of internal energy is compressed gases;

I would stop right here, although another example is a liquid or solid.

since gases occupy the total volume of the container in which they are situated their internal energy will vary when their container is greater and will increase when it is smaller. This means that for a gas dispersed in a room it actually has less internal energy than if it were compressed into a cylinder, since its particles will be forced to interact more closely.

This applies to real gases, but, in the case of ideal gases, the molecular interactions are negligible, and the only contributor to the internal energy is the random kinetic energy (which doesn't change when the gas volume increases or decreases).

Another example may be a batteries; within the charged batteries there is internal energy, on account of the chemical reactions between the heavy metals and acids inside. This internal energy will be greater when its electric charge is complete and less when it has been used.

(I do not think these examples define internal energy adequately)

I think it is adequate.

Heat is the energy transferred from one body to another as the result of a difference in temperature. An example of heat can be witnessed by placing a cube of ice into a glass of water. The heat energy from the water will eventually melt the ice; thus the water itself is a source of heat energy.
Another example, and perhaps the most obvious, would be the Sun itself. The Sun radiates heat in our solar system to warm planet Earth.
Even making a piece of toast is an example of heat; a toaster turns a piece of soft bread into a piece of crispy toast by drawing moisture from the bread using radiant heat energy.
I think that heat is random since heat transfer occurs spontaneously from higher to lower temperature bodies in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics.

I don't regard heat energy as random since it has direction (from hot to cold), and heat flux can be expressed as a vector quantity.

In thermodynamics, work performed by a system is the energy transferred by the system to its surroundings. An example is a gas confined by a piston in a cylinder.
If the gas is heated it will expand, doing work on the piston; this is one example of how a thermodynamic system can do work. The energy of the gas is transferred to the piston in order to do work. (I do not think is a particularly relative of concise definition either).
I do not know whether work is ordered or random and I have been thinking about it for so long that I cannot firmly take a position in support of either.

In my judgment, work is ordered, because it is force times displacement.

These three quantities are linked by the first law of thermodynamics, which is essentially the application of the conservation of energy to heat and thermodynamic processes. The first law of thermodynamics defines the internal energy (E) as equal to the difference of the heat transfer (Q) into a system and the work (W) done by the system;

.

In my judgment, you did a very nice job of researching and analyzing all this.