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Re: Stop using calorie?



On Tue, 23 Sep 1997 herbgottlieb@juno.com wrote:

...
By doing the paddle wheel experiment, it was established that 4186 joules
of mechanical energy (newtons times meters) is required to change the
temperature of one kilogram of water one degree celsius. Using more
water with the same amount of input energy could not possibly result in
the same increase of temperature.
...

I suspect that we are all convinced by now that Herb and, I think, others
see no rational defense for the use of the calorie as a unit of energy.
Furthermore, I am convinced that this is *not* a result of any failure to
appreciate that the calorie is based at least partially on an important
property of one of the most useful and ubiquitous chemical compounds on
earth (as distinguished from the joule which enjoys well-deserved status
as a member of the SI, but which is ultimately based entirely on arbitrary
standards.)

So I am curious because I think I can only conclude that the desire to
exclude the calorie from use is based entirely on the fact that it is not
an SI unit. Is that right? If not, what else? And if so, how *do*
you feel about units like the year, the day, the light year, and so on?

Sincerely,

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