The dead state of the system must have:

Explanation:

Potential Energy and Dead State:

• Potential energy is the energy held by an object because of its position relative to other objects, stresses within itself, its electric charge, or other factors. For a mechanical system, potential energy typically refers to the energy stored due to the position of objects within the system, such as the height of an object above the ground in a gravitational field.
• The dead state of a system, on the other hand, is a condition where the system is in complete equilibrium with its surroundings. This means that there is no net exchange of energy or matter with the environment. In this state, the system possesses no capacity to do work. Essentially, the system is in a state of minimum energy and maximum entropy.

Why Zero Velocity and Minimum Potential Energy?

• In the dead state, the system is in equilibrium, meaning there is no motion or change occurring.
• Therefore, the system must have zero velocity. Velocity indicates movement and kinetic energy, which would imply that the system could still do work, contradicting the definition of the dead state.
• Moreover, the system must have minimum potential energy.
• Minimum potential energy means that the system is in its most stable configuration.
• If the potential energy were higher, the system would have the capacity to change its state to achieve a lower energy configuration, which again implies the potential to do work.
• Hence, for the system to be truly in a dead state, it must be at the lowest possible energy level, both kinetically and potentially.