## Work sign convention

$w=-P\Delta V$
and
$w=-\int_{V_{1}}^{V_{2}}PdV=-nRTln\frac{V_{2}}{V_{1}}$

Chloe Qiao 4C
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:27 am

### Work sign convention

Can someone explain if work is done on a system, do we use the positive or negative sign? What about for work done by a system?

Tiffany_Cacy_3D
Posts: 70
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:24 am

### Re: Work sign convention

When work is done by the system the value you are going to get will be negative and when work is done on the system the value you will get will be positive. You shouldn't really have to worry about whether or not to put a negative because the determining sign will be a part of your equation you use. For example
w= -Pex(Delta V).

Greta Mascareno 1B
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:23 am

### Re: Work sign convention

You can also think of it in terms of energy. When energy is transferred to a system by doing work, the internal energy of the system increases and w is positive. In the same manner, when energy leaves the system as it does work, the internal energy of the system decreases and w is negative. (This is from 4A.2 in the textbook)

Andre_Galenchik_2L
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:23 am

### Re: Work sign convention

W < 0 when work is done by the system
W > 0 when work is done to the system