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Re: [Phys-l] Heat is not a noun (correction)



Hi all-
The word ``not'' inadvertently snuck into my penultimate paragraph. I should have read:

Like the so-called ``good book'' says, for everything there is a
seasoning, and the seasoning for the description of many thermal processes
is the notion of ``heat''.



On Wed, 13 Feb 2008, Philip Keller wrote:

Not sure about this but: I think" heat" is as much noun as "wave" is. And I say yes to both.

-Phil Keller
________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Jack Uretsky [jlu@hep.anl.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1:32 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Heat is not a noun

Heat is, IMO, aperfectly good noun, and the notion of heat as a
``substance'' is quite useful for some purposes. For example, the change
in the temperature pattern on an insulator is described very well by the
diffusion equation, which models the change as due to the flow of heat.
Or, to take another example, the passage to equilibrium of a system
consisting of ice cubes in a glass of warm water is readily described by
using heat as a conserved (for sufficiently short times) substance.

Like the so-called ``good book'' says, for everything there is a
seasoning, and the seasoning for the description of many thermal processes
is not notion of ``heat''.

Also, the concept of ``heat bath'' has been very useful in thermodynamics,
both equilibrium and n-equilibrium (whaich I am now studying).
Regards,
Jack



On Sun, 10 Feb 2008, JMGreen wrote:


Romer claims that heat should not be used as a noun. While I agree
with the spirit of using the word heat correctly, I disagree that heat
is not a noun. Heat is indeed a noun, but it is the name of a process,
not the name of what is transferred.

Heat as it is used since Carnot is not correctly used as a noun.
Heating may be, but heat is not a substance, not a fluid, it doesn't
flow; in the expression W+Q=dE, Q is WORK. Why can't physics teachers
learn not to teach as does Bill Nye the so called Science Guy. That
is what confuses students!



J M Green
Email: MailTo:



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--
"Trust me. I have a lot of experience at this."
General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley



_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l


--
"Trust me. I have a lot of experience at this."
General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley