Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Enthalpy is a measure of total energy in a thermodynamic system. It includes internal energy which can be used for work and volume expansion against an external pressure.
A measure of disorder or randomness in a system. If we scatter all coins and bills from your piggy bank on your bed, entropy increases because there’s more disorder now!
Represents available energy to do work at constant temperature and pressure. It's like counting only those coins from your piggy bank which are not pennies – this gives you real spending power!
The total kinetic and potential energies associated with random motion of molecules within a system; it's like the total amount of coins and bills in your piggy bank.