Why is work and heat energy always viewed from the perspective of the system? So my answer was 3 and it was wrong, And i really would like to know what is the correct answer, after giving it some thought, I think the answer is 4 because indeed it is easier to control the system than surroundings, can you please assure it that it's D.
I appreciate any help
The problem is in the word &quot;always&quot;. The statement &quot;Work and heat energy are always viewed from the perspective of the system?&quot; is wrong. Please inform your teacher that is true in the chemist's world only- and chemists did not invent thermodynamics.
Chemists have adopted a different convention than physicists. All we have to do is to be aware of the context.
Recall the First Law of Thermodynamics, which has 2 different equivalent statements.
In some books it is
$$∆U=q-w$$
and in some it is
$$∆U=q+w$$
Why, because the word &quot;always&quot; is not correct.