Work

[Jesse Kuehn 1B]

How can you tell if the work is positive or negative with respect to a given system?

[Madeline Ho 1C]

If work is done on a system, the value is positive. If the system is doing work, the value is negative.

[Megan_Ervin_1F]

Why is work not a state property?

[Rachel-Weisz3C]

Work is more complex than a state property. Work is dependent on the path used to get to its current state, which is the opposite of the definition of a state property which only depends on the state of the system.

[Danielle_Gallandt3I]

Work is a type of energy transfer, so if work is being done TO as system the system is being transferred energy so it will be a positive value. If work is being done BY a system then energy is being transferred out of a system so it will be a negative value

[JiangJC Dis2K]

Lavelle gave a great example in class. If you are pumping a tire, you are putting work into the system (given that the tire/pump is the system). Therefore the work for the surroundings is negative because you are losing energy. But the work for the system is positive because it is having the work done to it.