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State Functions (Pizza Rolls 3H)

Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:27 pm
by Kaitlyn Ang 1J
I don't know if this is the right section to post this question under, but I know state functions is a topic in thermodynamics and this was the closest category I could find in asking this question.

In Lyndon's review session, he mentioned that the answer to 3H "Which of the following are not state functions?
a) heat
b) heat capacity
c) entropy
d) enthalpy
e) work

is A and E. I use the PdTVHUGS acronym to determine which are state functions, so obviously q and w are not on the list and therefore are correct answers to the above question, but I don't think b) heat capacity is also on that list, so why is heat capacity a state function?

Re: State Functions (Pizza Rolls 3H)

Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:33 pm
by Eugene Chung 3F
I'm guessing it's because heat capacity is the measure of enthalpy (heat required to be transferred in rising T by 1C) and enthalpy is a state function. Also, heat capacity does not depend on how heat was added or how the temperature changed.