Re: [Phys-L] let's define energy

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 09/25/2015 10:39 AM, Carl Mungan wrote:
> >    Keep
> >    in mind the Anna Karenina principle:  Each student who
> >    is confused is confused in his own way.)
>
> Agreed, but I’d add: Each student who understands, understands in her own way.

There's a couple ways of interpreting that.  We agree
that each student starts out in a different place, and
comes to an understanding via some unique, complicated
path ... but I was hoping that at least when it comes
to the physics energy, everybody ends up understanding
it in more-or-less the same way.

We have to distinguish the physics energy from the DoE
«energy» and other vernacular notions ... but once we
do that, the physics energy seems remarkably well 
defined and well behaved:
  https://www.av8n.com/physics/thermo/energy.html

OTOH I've been wrong about such things in the past, so
again I ask:  what am I missing?