Is All Work Mechanical or Are There Alternative Forms?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of work in physics, specifically whether all work is mechanical or if there are alternative forms of work, such as internal or chemical work. Participants explore the definitions and distinctions between different types of energy transfer and work.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that work can include forms other than mechanical work, such as chemical work and heat transfer due to temperature differences.
  • One participant questions whether the total work should account for all forms of energy changes, including mechanical work and internal energy changes.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on the relationship between internal energy changes and total work, suggesting that internal energy changes could be a part of the total work executed over a system.
  • A request for clarification indicates that not all participants understand the nuances of the question regarding the relationship between internal energy and total work.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on whether all forms of work are mechanical, and participants express differing views on how to account for various types of energy changes in the context of total work.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the definitions of work and energy types may be missing, and the discussion reflects varying interpretations of how to quantify total work in relation to internal energy changes.

Anonymous119
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Hello, i have one question about work,
Does work must be mechanical ?
or we can change of some energy that is not mechanical (like internal or chemical)
call work ?
 
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Anonymous119 said:
we can change of some energy that is not mechanical (like internal or chemical) call work ?

Yes. If an energy transfer between two objects is caused by a difference in their temperatures, we call it heat, otherwise we call it work. Chemical work is an example of non-mechanical work.
 
Ok thanks, then i have new question,
If it says that is change of internal energy 1/3 of total work,
in total work i should count sums of every energy changes ?
 
I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. Can you re-phrase it in other words, or quote the problem or text that you're reading?
 
Ok, if it says that change of internal energy is part(for example 1/3) of TOTAL work executed over system(body). Does it mean that is TOTAL work indeed sums of every single work(mechanical work+internal energy change+...) ? If u understand me
 
Last edited:
Can anyone answer ?
 

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