CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

Ould someone explain what exactly a state function is?

state functions do not depend on the path to obtain that state - only the final and initial values matter. Energy, pressure, temperature are examples of state functions

Work would not be considered a stat function because the we need the information in between. Work is a path function.

State functions are functions where only the final state and the initial state matter when doing calculations and all intermediate states are effectively immaterial. For example, when calculating energy for a gas at two different temperatures, the fact that it is at any other value besides the start and the end is not important, only the initial and final temperature are important.

state functions are only determined by final & initial values, much like how a state property is determined by its current state & not the path taken to obtain that state.

Hi,

I would like to add Dr. Lavelle's example with the diagram of a mountain, about how altitude was a state function because it was a set amount and only depended on initial and final values while two hikers (A and B) had different values depending on the pathway they took (similar to work).

State functions don't depend on the path taken to get to its current state. The formula final - initial works for state functions, meaning that the stuff between final and initial doesn't matter. Enthalpy is a state function.