The initial state of the body, according to Gibbs, is supposed to be such that "the body can be made to pass from it to states of dissipated energy by reversible processes".
Keadaan awal benda, menurut Gibbs, seharusnya sedemikian rupa sehingga "benda dapat dibuat untuk melewatinya dari keadaan energi yang dilepaskan melalui proses reversibel".