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.
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.
« Ground state configuration of ising model, most recent research | Centripetal acceleration » |