In thermodynamics, what does the term 'enthalpy' refer to?
Practice Questions
Q1
In thermodynamics, what does the term 'enthalpy' refer to?
Internal energy plus pressure times volume
Internal energy minus pressure times volume
Heat content of a system
Work done by a system
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In thermodynamics, what does the term 'enthalpy' refer to?
Step 1: Understand that enthalpy is a concept in thermodynamics, which is the study of heat and energy.
Step 2: Know that enthalpy is represented by the letter 'H'.
Step 3: Learn the formula for enthalpy: H = U + PV.
Step 4: Identify what each symbol in the formula means: 'U' is internal energy, 'P' is pressure, and 'V' is volume.
Step 5: Realize that internal energy (U) is the energy stored within a system, pressure (P) is the force exerted by the system's particles, and volume (V) is the space the system occupies.
Step 6: Understand that enthalpy helps us measure the total energy of a system, including both its internal energy and the energy associated with its pressure and volume.