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Re: "Dissipation" (was Re: momentum conservation(2))



At 19:56 15 03 2000 , you wrote:
John,
I was delighted with your original question and your defense of
the use of the word "dissipation". I join others in your camp.

> At 4:25 PM -0800 3/14/00, John Mallinckrodt wrote:
> >I want to second Jahn Barrer's eloquent defense of the word "dissipation"

Mr Chairman, I rise in dismay at the use of the word "dissipation" in
connection with the concept of energy. To say that energy (in any guise)
dissipates is to imply that it moves or flows. I join with those who
proclaim that this is a dangerous image to put into the minds of
students. Energy should be thought of as a "property" of a system: it can
be increassed or decreased by doing work (or being work as in the case of
PE) but it does not move -- unless of course the system moves -- It does
not flow from one system to another -- It does not dissipate,

Of course one is quite free to use any language which communicates
_correct_ principles, but I think that it would be very difficult --
although common place -- to talk about energy as dissipating and teach
correct principles.

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