Section 3.

5 Visual Summary Enthalpy

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Understand and calculate enthalpy and
internal energy.
SKILLS TO MASTER: Calculating energy and expansion work
Calculating the enthalpy change of a chemical reaction from standard
enthalpies of formation
Calculating the enthalpy change of a chemical reaction under non-
standard conditions
KEY CONCEPTS: Enthalpy is a thermodynamic state function that
describes heat flow at constant pressure.
The heat transferred in a constant-pressure calorimeter is the enthalpy
change.
The heat transferred in a constant-volume calorimeter is the energy
change.
A formation reaction produces 1 mole of a chemical substance from
the elements in their standard states.
The enthalpy change for any overall process is equal to the sum of the
enthalpy changes for any set of steps that leads from the starting
materials to the products.

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3.5 Enthalpy
• Enthalpy (H) is a thermodynamic state function that
describes heat flow at constant pressure.

H = U + pV

• Enthalpy change, ΔH: heat transferred into or out of a

system at constant pressure. For a reaction, it can be
calculated according to:

ΔHreaction ≈ ΔUreaction + RTΔngas

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Energy and Enthalpy of Vapourization
• Changes of state always take place at a constant
temperature
• Heat of vapourization ΔHvap: heat required to convert liquid
to gas
ΔHvap ≈ ΔUvap + RTvap

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Enthalpies of Formation
• A formation reaction produces 1 mol of a chemical substance
from the elements in their most stable forms
o There is a single product with a stoichiometric coefficient of
1.
o All the starting materials are elements, and each is in its most
stable form.
o Enthalpies of reactions involving gases vary with pressure, so
pressures must be specified.
o Enthalpies of reactions occurring in solution vary with
concentration, so concentrations must be specified.

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Remember State Functions
• State function - a quantity whose value is determined
only by the state of the system. It does not depend on
the path taken to get there.

• Standard state - is the most stable form of a substance at

T = 25 °C and p = 1 bar, and 1 M if it is in solution

• The superscript ° indicates standard conditions.

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Therefore...
• The standard enthalpy change of a reaction for the formation
of 1 mole of a compound directly from its elements is called
the standard molar enthalpy of formation, ΔHf°

Mn (s) + O2 (g)  MnO2 (g) ΔHfo = −520.0 kJ/mol

Br2 (l)  Br2 (g) ΔHfo = 30.9 kJ/mol

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Enthalpy Changes for Chemical
Reactions
• Hess’s Law: the enthalpy change for any overall process
is equal to the sum of enthalpy changes for any set of steps
that leads from the starting materials to the products.
• To calculate the total enthalpy change for a reaction,
ΔH°rxn:

ΔH°reaction = Σp ΔH°f,p− Σ r ΔH°f,r

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Enthalpy Changes Under Nonstandard
Conditions
• Energies and enthalpy change as temperature,
concentration, and pressure change.
• Therefore, ΔH depends on these variables, too.

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Copyright

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