Re: Energy as ability to do work

[Joel Rauber <Joel_Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>]

John Denker wrote in part:
> I vote for "just plain wrong".
>
> Consider a block of brass with some initial temperature.
> Then I dump ten
> joules of heat into it.  The incremental ability of the
> system to do work
> with that energy is somewhat less, possibly very much less, than the
> incremental energy.

John, to expand the discussion; I'd agree with your point above; however,

would you consider it wrong to view the center-of-mass kinetic energy of a
rigid extensive object as being its ability to do work?

Joel