Thread: thermodynamics .. when work being negative or positive

thermodynamics .. when work being negative or positive

You probably need to say which definition of work you are using. But I think, in general, a positive value of work means that energy is lost from the system and negative work means energy is gained by the system.

Originally Posted by wanted90

thermodynamics .. when work being negative or positive

As strange suggests, there's no universally correct choice; it's a matter of definition and convention. Just as there's no inherently correct choice of "left" or "right," so it is with the sign of work. Step 1 is to come up with an agreed-upon definition, and then the sign follows therefrom. When communicating the information to another party, you'll need to convey both the sign and the definition to avoid misunderstanding.