Hi Everyone,
I'm currently studying Physics and am going through common terminology when I stumbled across the First Law of Thermodynamics. The textbook I have states that it can be extpressed as dU = δq + δw, the sum of two path functions/inexact differential.
My questions are:
1) Is my interpretation correct - dU is the differential of the Internal Thermal Energy, δq is the differential of the Heat of the system and δw is the differential of the work undertaken by the system?
2) Why can two path functions contribute to calculate a state function? That is, if my reasoning is correct, why do two factors influenced by the process in which they are produced by, form the basis of the current Internal Thermal Energy of the system. The underlying question I feel is: Why isn't U both a path function?
Cheers
ky.tan1