I was at a meeting at the Regional College Board office in Chicago last
Friday where their Advanced Placement testing procedures were being
explained.
In one of their "pieces" their new AP exams were being described and it
stated that (something to the effect);
"we are now going to use the new definition of physics work where we
measure work done "on" the system rather than work done "by" the system.
The result is to have all plus signs in the First Law of Thermo -- just as
chemistry does it."
Now, I realize we have had a few "threads" on this matter in the not too
distant past. But, it was my understanding that this was being considered
-- but not necessarily adopted. This tells me that it is now adopted!!!
I have no big problem with this change. But, I do object if the change was
brought about by an arbitrary change made by someone in a testing company.
Or, if it was made to bring us in alignment with chemistry. If the physics
community has debated this issue and made this decision -- great! But, if
not, what do we do now?