key term - Hess's Law

Definition

Hess's Law states that the total enthalpy change for a chemical reaction is independent of the pathway or number of steps taken to achieve the reaction. It only depends on the initial and final states.

Related terms

Enthalpy:

This is the heat content of a system at constant pressure. It's like measuring how much energy (or "heat") is in your lunchbox if it couldn't leak out anywhere.

Endothermic Reaction:

This type of reaction absorbs heat from its surroundings during its process. Imagine this as an ice cream cone absorbing heat on a hot summer day and melting.

Exothermic Reaction:

In contrast to endothermic reactions, exothermic reactions release heat into their surroundings. Picture this as lighting up a firework; once ignited, it releases light and heat into the air around it.