Why heat can't be expressed as exact differential function?

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The differential of work and heat cannot be expressed as exact differentials because they depend on the specific path taken during a process, making them path functions. In contrast, the differential of internal energy is an exact differential function since it is defined as a state function, which means it only depends on the current state of the system, not the path taken to reach it. Internal energy can be expressed as a function of multiple thermodynamic coordinates, not just two, indicating its dependence on various state variables. The equations of state and heat capacity fully determine internal energy, allowing for flexibility in its representation. Understanding these distinctions is crucial in thermodynamics for accurately describing energy changes in systems.
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(1) Why differential of work, heat can't be expressed as exact differential function?
(2) How differential of internal energy is an exact differential function and how it is a function of any
two of thermodynamics coordinates?
 
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manimaran1605 said:
(1) Why differential of work, heat can't be expressed as exact differential function?

Because work and heat individually depend on the path taken or process considered. There are countless examples of this all around you.

manimaran1605 said:
(2) How differential of internal energy is an exact differential function and how it is a function of any
two of thermodynamics coordinates?

Internal energy is defined to be a state function, there's nothing deeper to it. It wouldn't even make sense to call it internal energy if it wasn't a state function. Also it isn't true that the internal energy is necessarily a function of only two thermodynamic coordinates. In general ##U = U(S,x_1,...,x_n)## where ##x_i## are a set of generalized coordinates so one requires ##n+1## coordinates, including ##S## in the usual energy representation, and performing Legendre transforms to go to e.g. the Helmholtz or Gibbs representations will not change this. In the Helmholtz representation for example we would have ##F = F(T,x_1,...,x_n)## where ##F## is as usual the Helmholtz free energy. Of course the choice of ##S## for ##U## and the choice of
##T## for ##F## are just a matter of convenience for that specific thermodynamic potential and its associated fundamental relation (although not necessarily convenient for experiment). Indeed I can just as well write ##U = U(T,x_1,...,x_n)## if I wish by inverting ##S## as a function of ##T## but I still need ##n+1## variables.

Mathematically, ##U## is entirely determined by the equations of state and the heat capacity.
 
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