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Bongo Man
Bongo Man
06:34
Hello everyone!
I had a minor doubt in Thermodynamics. Are molar heat capacity and specific heat capacity Cp and Cv state or path functions?
 
9 hours later…
Buck Thorn
Buck Thorn
15:45
@BongoMan Heat capacities are state functions. They depend on the state, not the path used to reach the state.
Bongo Man
Bongo Man
16:10
Thanks @BuckThorn! But then why are "total heat capacity" and specific heat capacity path functions as per this Quora link: quora.com/Is-heat-capacity-a-state-function, look at the answer given by the Biochemistry professor
Mithoron
Mithoron
17:05
@BongoMan What's even the point of asking such question? Heat capacity is a property of substance, or object, much like volume. Do you ask if volume is some path function?
Bongo Man
Bongo Man
17:42
@Mithoron I'm currently studying from a Chemistry book written by Neeraj Kumar, and it states that the total heat capacity is "regarded as a path function". On top of that, this Physics stack exchange question: physics.stackexchange.com/questions/280099/… implies total heat capacity as well as specific heat capacity is a path function
All these sources have a general consesus. Cp and Cv (molar heat capacity) are state functions, whereas total heat capacity and specific heat capacity are path functions.
 
1 hour later…
Buck Thorn
Buck Thorn
19:08
@BongoMan Ok, I see. Yes, it depends on the definition. Look at the answers by Chet Miller, they're spot on. I was thinking about definitions such as Eqs 1 and 2 in Chet's answer- these are state functions as they are partial derivatives (ie response to infinitely small changes at fixed intensive properties) of state functions wrt temperature and composition.
If you look at a change that is finite in size you are no longer considering the property of a single state, you are looking at a collection of states connected by a path.

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