State Functions and Path Functions
Understand the distinction between state functions (properties depending only on the state) and path functions (properties depending on the process path) in thermodynamics.
Why this shows up in the exam
Questions frequently ask you to classify thermodynamic quantities as state or path functions.
How NEET tests this
Practise it
These are real questions from past NEET papers that test this exact idea.
Which of the following are not state functions? (I) q+w (II) q (III) w (IV) H - TS
Push further
More challenging4 harder questions built from the past papers above — a step up in difficulty, with distractors designed so you can't get there by elimination. Written and checked by our reviewers, not from a real paper.
Consider a system undergoing a cyclic process. Which of the following statements is always true? (A) The net heat exchanged (Σq) is zero. (B) The net work done (Σw) is zero. (C) The change in internal energy (ΔU) for the cycle is zero. (D) The change in enthalpy (ΔH) for the cycle is equal to the net heat exchanged (Σq).
More from Thermodynamics
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Laws of Thermodynamics
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Explore the concepts of internal energy, heat, and work, including their definitions, relationships, and how they change during various thermodynamic processes.
Ideal Gas Law and Equation
Learn the ideal gas equation, its relation to physical quantities like pressure, volume, temperature, and density, and its use in describing the behavior of ideal gases.
Gibbs Free Energy and Spontaneity
Learn how Gibbs free energy determines spontaneity, how to calculate it, and its dependence on temperature, pressure, and other thermodynamic parameters.
Entropy and Its Changes
Understand entropy as a measure of disorder, how it changes in physical and chemical processes, and its calculation in various scenarios including phase transitions and isothermal processes.