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Mahmoud Mahmoud
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My chemistry course says that work done by the system is negative, but physics course says that work done by the system is positive, I'm sure I'm missing something and I really need to understand it. Thanks.
Work done by the system is the measure of energy transferred from the system to its surroundings or vice versa. It is a result of a force acting over a distance.
If the force and displacement are in the same direction, then the work done is positive. If they are in opposite directions, then the work done is negative.
Positive work done by the system indicates that the system is gaining energy from its surroundings. This could happen, for example, when a force is applied to the system, causing it to move or change in some way.
Yes, the work done by the system can be zero. This occurs when the force and displacement are perpendicular to each other, meaning that no energy is transferred between the system and its surroundings.
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted. Work done by the system is a form of energy transfer, so it is directly related to the first law of thermodynamics.