What exactly do "state of a system" and "state variables" mean?

[Kaushik]

TL;DR

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Could someone provide me with the intuitive understanding of state of a thermodynamic system? What does state variables/parameters mean?

 

[sysprog]

The wikipedia Thermodynamic state article is reasonably straightforward -- what is intuitive is often different for one person compared to another -- perhaps you can formulate a more specific question.

 

[Dr_Nate]

Start here before going to the wikipedia article: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Kinetic/idegas.html#c3

 

[gleem]

State of - the way or being that exists at a particular time.

The state of a system is the characterization of that system (an object or situation) by the specification of measurable quantities which describe the system. Example. a container of a gas. The state of this systems is described by its temperature, density, pressure and mass. These quantities are known as the state variables. Other systems as electrolytic cells . pieces of dielectric material, or a solutions have different state variables that characterize them.

 

[FactChecker]

The state must be a description (usually as variable values) of the current situation of the system that is complete enough to determine the future behavior of the system as it is reflected in those same variables. The state of a pendulum would be the velocity and height of the weight.