In chemical thermodynamics, reactions commonly occur at constant pressure rather than constant volume. As a result, the need for a new state function arises to describe the heat absorbed or released during these processes. Enthalpy, defined as H = U + pV, where U is internal energy, provides this measure. The change in enthalpy (∆H) corresponds to heat transfer at constant pressure (qp), making it a practical tool for assessing reaction energetics.
Specifically, for a chemical reaction or process, the change in enthalpy can be represented as:
∆H = H2 - H1 = qp
Thus, enthalpy fundamentally reflects the energy variation in a system during reactions, accommodating heat transfer naturally in open systems. Furthermore, this state function operates independently of the reaction pathway, thus providing crucial insights when thermodynamic conditions are analyzed in various phases.