Re: Heat & Energy

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 14:12 9/8/99 +0800, you wrote:
> hello there. we're currently working on a revised curriculum for the 21st
> century from grades 1 to 9. one of our main themes is on energy.
>
> would it be correct to say that heat is a form of energy ? if this is
> incorrect, how may this be corrected ?
>
> thanks in advance.
>
> alvin c. flores

Alvin may have noticed the continual low level debate on the
appropriate way to discuss the various conversions of power,
especially where heating is involved.

   I expect it is acceptable to note that the availability
of a heat source and sink  at reasonably different temperatures
permits the construction of the external combustion engine -
the engine of the Industrial Revolution, and next the internal
combustion engine, which revolutionized transport, first by land
then by air.   These engines provide a notably portable energy source.

People hasten to add that this is a sort of conversion of potential
energy of energetic chemical bonds into mechanical energy.


brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK