Thermochemistry

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions related to thermochemistry.

Chemical energy

The energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds.

Thermochemistry

The study of heat changes that occur during chemical reactions.

Energy

The capacity to do work or transfer heat.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy is neither created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another.

Enthalpy (H)

The heat content of a system, defined as the internal energy plus the product of pressure and volume.

Calorimetry

An experimental technique for measuring the amount of heat involved in a chemical reaction.

Hess’s Law

A law stating that the total enthalpy change for a reaction is the sum of the enthalpy changes for individual steps.

Bond Enthalpy (D)

The energy required to break one mole of a bond in a gaseous substance.

Kinetic energy (KE)

Energy possessed by an object due to its motion.

Potential energy (PE)

Stored energy in an object due to its position or condition.

Specific heat capacity (Cs)

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 °C.

Standard enthalpy of formation (ΔHf °)

The change in enthalpy when one mole of a compound is formed from its elements in their standard states.

Exothermic reaction

A process that releases heat to the surroundings.

Endothermic reaction

A process that absorbs heat from the surroundings.

Internal Energy (E)

The total energy contained within a system, including both kinetic and potential energy.

State function

A property that depends only on the current state of the system, not on the path taken to reach that state.

Work (w)

Energy transfer associated with a force acting through a distance.