olekufunktsioon

The term "olekufunktsioon" is an Estonian word that translates to "state function" in English, commonly used in thermodynamics and physics. A state function is a property of a thermodynamic system whose value depends only on the current state of the system, independent of the path taken to reach that state. This means that if a system changes from an initial state to a final state, the change in a state function depends solely on these initial and final states, not on the intermediate steps or processes involved.

Examples of state functions include internal energy, enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy. In contrast, path functions, such as heat and work, do depend on the process by which the system changes from one state to another. The distinction between state functions and path functions is fundamental to understanding thermodynamic cycles and energy transformations. For instance, when calculating the total energy change of a system undergoing a cycle, the net change in any state function will always be zero because the system returns to its initial state. This property makes state functions incredibly useful for simplifying thermodynamic calculations.