Re: heat is a form of energy

[John Denker <jsd@MONMOUTH.COM>]

At 09:15 PM 9/8/99 -0600, Jim Green wrote:

> This surely should not be taught in a physics class except as an example of
> cartoon physics ... that "heat" is somehow a form of "energy".

> caloric ideas -- of a substantive heat or energy flowing -- has always
> been dead wrong

To rephrase this as a syllogism:
  Major premise:  The modern notion of heat is the same as caloric theory.
  Minor premise:  Caloric theory is dead wrong.
  Conclusion:  Therefore the modern notion of heat is dead wrong.

This syllogism has problems: the minor premise is questionable, and the
major premise is preposterous.

The main reason we disfavor the caloric theory is its *failure* to treat
heat as a form of energy, i.e. its implication that caloric might be
conserved separately from other forms of energy.  [Reference: look under
"caloric theory" in the Encyclopedia Britannica.]