What is an important characteristic of a check valve's design?

The design of a check valve is focused on ensuring that it allows fluid to flow in one direction while preventing backflow. An important characteristic of a check valve's design is that it should create minimal resistance to flow. This is crucial because any obstruction in the flow can lead to an increase in pressure, potentially causing system inefficiencies or failures. A check valve that minimizes flow resistance helps maintain the efficiency of the system it is a part of, ensuring that the fluid can pass through with as little impediment as possible. Thus, having minimal resistance is fundamentally important for the check valve to function correctly and serve its purpose effectively. The other characteristics, while they may be relevant in certain contexts, do not capture the primary function and design objective of a check valve as accurately as the need for minimal resistance to flow.