Energy in physics feels analogous to money in economics. Is a manmade medium of exchange used for convenience. It is the exchange medium between measureable physical states/things.

Is energy is real in the same way money is? An incredibly useful accounting trick that is used so frequently it feels fundamental, but really it’s just a mathmatical convenience?

Small aside: From this perspective ‘conservatipn of energy’ is a redundant statement. Of course energy must be conserved or else the equations are wrong. The definition of energy is it’s conservation.

  • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
    31·
    2 days ago

    So, what would it be a medium of, then? I mean money is a medium of exchange. And by your logic, energy is a medium of ____ ???

      • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        I guess we can’t answer OP’s question, then. That’s too unspecific. Something gets exchanged, true. Is that man-made? Likely false, but depends on what we’re talking about.

        • Yondoza@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
          2·
          1 day ago

          A medium of exchange for force.

          A photon of a certain wavelength imparts a known force when colliding with an electron. That force propels the electron to a higher orbital.

          • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
            1·
            1 day ago

            And how does the “manmade” tie into that? Did we make the photons? Exert the force or did we do something that brought force into existence?