ABSTRACT
This chapter essentially deals with the conversion of chemical energy into heat energy and vice versa. Important thermodynamic quantities, among which enthalpies can be obtained through thermochemical studies, is the object of thermochemistry. Thermochemical measurements involve the definition of standard states, essentially for convenience of calculations of heats of reactions. The heat change is equal to the difference between the total enthalpy of the products and the total enthalpy of the reactants at constant pressure. In chemistry, calorimetry is the science concerned with the measurement of heat changes accompanying chemical reactions. The links between the measured heat effects and the thermodynamic quantities are the heat capacities, owing to, of course, their definitions. There are several ways to practice calorimetry in chemistry.
