EnthalpyThis is a featured page

In thermodynamics, enthalpy, symbolized by H, summarized as ‘heat content’, is defined as the sum of the internal energy of a thermodynamic system plus the energy associated with work done by the system on the atmosphere, i.e. the product of the pressure times the volume. Enthalpy reflects the number and kinds of chemical bonds in the reactants and products. [1] In equation form, enthalpy is defined as follows:

H = U + PV

The quantity H, equal to the internal energy plus the pressure volume energy, was first recognized by American engineer Willard Gibbs as playing an important role for processes occurring at constant pressure, and was called by him ‘heat content’. Some years later, in 1909, the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh-Onnes gave H the name enthalpy, from the Greek εν (en) ‘in’ and θαλπος (thalpos) ‘to heat’, which combined define the word enthalpos, to warm within. [4]

In biochemical thermodynamics, enthalpy is considered as a ‘thermodynamic state function usually measured as heat transferred to or from a system at constant pressure.’ [2] With the constraints of constant pressure and amount of substance, the differential change in enthalphy dH, of a system evolving in such conditions, equals the amount of heat dQP exchanged with the surroundings.’ [3]

See also
Enthalpy-entropy compensation

References
1. Lehninger, A.L., Nelson, D.L., & Cox, M.M. (1993). Principles of Biochemistry, 2nd ed. New York: Worth Publishers.
2. Haynie, D.T. (2001). Biological Thermodynamics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Perrot, P. (1998). A to Z of Thermodynamics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. Laidler, Keith J. (1993). The World of Physical Chemistry (pg. 110). Oxford University Press.

External links
Enthalpy – Wikipedia.

EoHT symbol



Sadi-Carnot
Sadi-Carnot
Latest page update: made by Sadi-Carnot , Sep 23 2009, 1:15 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Sadi-Carnot Edited by Sadi-Carnot

9 words added
2 words deleted

view changes

- complete history)
Keyword tags: enthalpy (edit keyword tags)
More Info: links to this page

Anonymous  (Get credit for your thread)


There are no threads for this page.  Be the first to start a new thread.