Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Richard777 on 27/10/2016 19:47:51

Title: May temperature be represented as a vector ?
Post by: Richard777 on 27/10/2016 19:47:51

Energy (including heat) is represented as a scalar.

Area (A) may be represented as a vector (cross product of lengths).

Volume (V ) may also be represented as a vector (cross product of length and area).

Assume that temperature represents a concentration of heat energy within a spatial volume.

If temperature is represented as a vector (T ) then energy (e) may be represented as a dot product of temperature and volume;

   T ● V = e        (apologies for poor font)

(Vector shown upper case, scalar shown lower case)

Is this assumption correct?

Title: Re: May temperature be represented as a vector ?
Post by: Bored chemist on 27/10/2016 21:20:17

Area (A) may be represented as a vector (cross product of lengths).
No it can't.
The magnitude of the cross product is numerically equal to the area but the act of taking the magnitude  coverts the product from a vector to a scalar.
Ditto volume in 3D

"Assume that temperature represents a concentration of heat energy within a spatial volume."
Why assume something that doesn't make sense?

"Is this assumption correct?"
No.

So, re. " May temperature be represented as a vector ? "
No.