Which statement describes a key property of state functions?

Which statement describes a key property of state functions?

• A. Depends only on initial and final states
• B. Depends on the path taken
• C. Always equals zero for a reversible process
• D. Can never be negative

Answer: (A)

State functions depend only on the current state of the system, not on how it got there. So the change in a state function between two states is determined solely by those states, independent of the path taken. This is why quantities like internal energy, enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy are state functions. Heat and work, on the other hand, depend on the specific process path. For example, the change in internal energy between two states is the same whether you heat the system slowly or compress it rapidly, because it depends only on the initial and final states. That’s why the statement describing dependence only on initial and final states is correct. The other ideas aren’t correct because a reversible process does not guarantee zero heat or work, and state functions can take negative values depending on the reference chosen for zero.

State functions depend only on the current state of the system, not on how it got there. So the change in a state function between two states is determined solely by those states, independent of the path taken. This is why quantities like internal energy, enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy are state functions. Heat and work, on the other hand, depend on the specific process path.

For example, the change in internal energy between two states is the same whether you heat the system slowly or compress it rapidly, because it depends only on the initial and final states. That’s why the statement describing dependence only on initial and final states is correct.

The other ideas aren’t correct because a reversible process does not guarantee zero heat or work, and state functions can take negative values depending on the reference chosen for zero.