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.....
Another point which I'm uncomfortable with in the classroom. I too eschew
the use of Delta Q and W for the obvious reason; but in my calculus level
class I have to refer to dQ and dW, and I've previously in mechanics
emphasized that d(anything) is a small change in something. So I have to do
some fancy footwork here and say that dQ and dW only mean a small quantity
and not a change, I mention the words "inexact differential" as well (not
that I expect them to understand inexact differentials, but simply to
sensitize them to the use of terminology that they will see later.)
Comments or suggestions?