Practice question · Multiple choice
The first law says , and internal energy is a state function while heat and work are not. What does that distinction mean in practice?
Hints
- Ask what changes if you go between the same two states by a different route.
- Which of the three quantities is fixed by the endpoints alone?
Show the answer
B. That depends on the endpoints and , on the path
Why
The split between and is a property of the journey; their difference is not. This is exactly what makes engine cycles worth designing.
Practise First Law of Thermodynamics
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