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Re: Stop using calories?



On Thu, 18 Sep 1997 herbgottlieb@juno.com wrote:

But students learn that the calorie is a unit of HEAT ENERGY.
Isn't is possible to raise the temperature of 1 g ...... by shaking
the liquid or subjecting it to electromagnetic radiations?
Why use the term CALORIE at all if it is just as easy to raise
the temperature of 1g ..... with 4 joules of energy ....any kind
of energy?

I'm willing to avoid calories when and if it makes sense to, but I don't
follow this argument. It's not "just as easy;" it's the same thing. If
we shake 90 grams of water and find that it's temperature rises by .5 K
it's certainly easier to calculate the work done on it in calories than in
joules. And any student learning that heat is energy is in a bit of
trouble whether you use calories, joules, or butt pounds per acre.

John
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A. John Mallinckrodt http://www.intranet.csupomona.edu/~ajm
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