The internal pressure parameter α, first derived from the compressibility of metals and alkali-halides, is interpreted as α = dW/dV where W is the potential energy and V the volume. This expression enables the evaluation of α from measurements on thermal energy and thermal expansion. With now available experimental results α-values can in this way be obtained for most metals at ordinary temperatures and in some cases these values can be compared with values from very low temperatures and values obtained from melting and the liquid state. Though α must be expected to vary with the volume the variations do not exceed the limits of the present experimental uncertainty. The experimental α-values are used for a determination of the electron density in metals and for an interpretation of the activation energy of diffusion.