From lecture on Enthalpy

[Sharon Chu 3I]

Hello, I do not understand the phrase "A state property is not dependent on path taken to obtain that state."
Can someone help clarify, Thanks so much.

[Jonathan Sautter 1J]

The way that I like to think of it is like displacement vs. distance. A state function is like displacement in that all that matters is the distance between point A and point B, not the distance of the possible paths to get from A to B where you could have turns that make one path longer than the other.

[Kevin Zhang 3K]

The end result will be the same regardless of how it gets there. with temperature, it'll be same result if it goes from 0*C to 50*C or from 0*C to 100*C then to 50*C

[Rhona_McChesney_1F]

To elaborate on the answers above, a state property, such as enthalpy, entropy, and Gibb's free energy, is a property that ignores the path taken to get to the final value. I like the professors comparison of state functions to elevation change. If you gain a certain amount of elevation on a hike, and then lose a certain amount of elevation, your total change in elevation will just be your current elevation minus your initial elevation.

[Daniel Li 3C]

A state property makes it such that it does not matter which path is taken to get to the final result. The final result in temperature for example is if a substance goes from 0 to 50 degrees then goes back down and back up and ends up at 50 again, the state property change is still 50 degrees.

[Kimia Rategh 2A]

Hi! So when we say that a state property is independent form the path it takes, it really just means that the way in which you go from the initial condition of that property to the final condition does not matter when understanding the property. The best way, I think, to understand this is to think about a hiker climbing a mountain. The path they take to go from the bottom of the mountain to the top is not necessary to calculate the change in amplitude the hiker experiences. You simply subtract the initial amplitude (the amplitude at the bottom of the mountain) from the final amplitude (the amplitude at the top of the mountain). Whether or not the hiker travelled across the mountain, straight up, or travelled a little down the mountain before making their way up the top does not matter when calculating the change in amplitude which is what makes amplitude a state property.

Hope this helps!

[Nicole Weinstein 3E]

A state property doesn't take into account the path that a system takes to get to its final form. It can go straight from 0 C to 50 C or have a bunch of detours on its way to 50 C (final result) and it wouldn't make any difference after the system is able to settle because it still reaches the same point either way.

[jaycmartinezDisc3b]

Hi, I agree with you, at first the state properties independence to path can be confusing at first glance. So I'll explain it more as an analogy. Let's you boil one cup of water on a stove, and boil another cup of water on a bunsen burner. For the sake of this let's just assume that after 100c we stop boiling the waters. Now, one cup of water could take longer than the other to boil, but at 100c they're still both at the same temperature. Thus, since all we're concerned about the the temperature, it doesn't really matter how long or what path the water took to reach 100c, because in the end they aren't comparable.