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HEAT1=HEAT2 ?



On Tue, 26 Aug 1997 Leigh Palmer <palmer@sfu.ca> wrote:

...and while we're at it, why distinguish between "mass" and "weight"?

For mass and weight we have two concepts and each has a distinct
name. There is no danger of confusion while teaching these concepts.
Supermarkets may sell by mass, by weight, by volume, by pieces, etc.,
according to tradition and convenience. And we criticize those who
say that pounds and newtons are units of mass. In the case of heat we
have a REAL danger for confusing students; the same name for two
different quantities expressed in joules. That is why something must
be done. We have 3 options.

1) tolerating the status quo (verb yes, noun no, etc.)
2) renaming heat in thermodynamics
3) renaming heat in elementary physics
4) Martian words ? No, that is silly.

I would vote for option 2. Yes, I know, democracy in physics does not
mean voting. But do we have a confusing situation or not? And if yes,
then what should be done about it? For whose sake should a trivial
conceptual trap be tolerated? An "official position" on the issue, for
example by AAPT, would be very helpful to many teachers.
Ludwik Kowalski