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Question:

For a cyclic process, which of the following quantities is zero?

ΔV

ΔU

W

ΔQ

Solution:

Internal energy (U) is a function of temperature only. Thus, it is a state function, i.e., its value depends only upon the state it is in, not on the process through which it reached that state. A cyclic process ends at the state where it started. Thus, there is no change in state functions in a cyclic process, and hence ΔU = 0.