"When a system is considered in two different states, the difference in volume or in any other property, between the two states, depends solely upon those states themselves and not upon the manner in which the system may pass from one state to the other"

This quote by Rudolf Arnheim is referring to the principle of thermodynamics, which is the research study of energy and its transformations. The quote is highlighting that when a system is in 2 different states, the difference in volume or any other home in between the two states is identified by the states themselves and not by the procedure of transitioning from one state to the other. This means that the modification in volume or any other home is independent of the procedure of transitioning from one state to the other. This idea is essential in thermodynamics due to the fact that it helps to describe the behavior of systems and how they interact with their environment. It also assists to describe the conservation of energy, which mentions that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, however can just be transferred from one form to another. This quote by Rudolf Arnheim is a pointer that the properties of a system are identified by the system itself and not by the procedure of transitioning from one state to the other.