Re: A "heat" question

[Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>]

> I assume this was meant to say not just any energy,
> but energy that is being transferred in thermal form.

"Energy" is not transfered - It does not move -- It is not a substance.

> Surely the heat-is-a-verb partisans don't think that
> simple macroscopic F dot dx energy transfer is "heat".

No! "heat " is not "energy" nor is it transferred.  "Heating" is "work" --
Would one think of "work" being "transferred" or as a substance???

> Unfortunately, no matter how carefully heat-is-transfer
> idea is expressed, it remains a Bad Idea.

This is true!!!!

> It is occasionally true but _not generally true_ that
> energy in motion can be divided into a purely thermal
> piece and a purely non-thermal piece.

"Energy" is never in motion -- Well ok a ball may be in motion and the ball
may have the property of energy but the energy does not "move" any more
than the color of the ball might move independently from the ball.

> It has been known
> for over 200 years that thermal energy is not conserved
> separately from other forms of energy.

The phrase "thermal energy" is not universally meaningful.

etc etc etc


Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.