The term enthalpy is a term that is normally used in the field of physical science and that serves to designate that phenomenon by which the thermodynamic magnitude of a body or element is equal to the sum that results from its own internal energy plus the result of its volume by external pressure. This formula is a very common formula in physics and thermodynamics that allows to know information about the reaction of different elements and natural forces under different conditions. The word enthalpy comes from the Greek term enthalpos which means to heat.
Enthalpy is part of the information that thermodynamics gathers and organizes, a part of physical science in charge of calculating quantities of energy. Enthalpy is the amount of energy that is put into motion or into action when constant pressure is generated on a certain element or material object. Thus, the thermodynamic system known as enthalpy is the one that can be used to know the energy or the joules (unit used in this case) contains an element, for example a food.
The formula for thermodynamic enthalpy is H = U + pV. Enthalpy is officially represented by the letter H and in the equation it is equal to the sum of the internal energy or U with the volume of the element put at constant pressure. Thus, to know the enthalpy of a food for example to know its calories, it must be subjected to constant pressure to know the energy released and that energy plus the amount of pressure applied on its volume will result in the enthalpy.
There are other types of enthalpy such as chemistry, one that has to do with the chemical reaction of different elements when they are put to the test, for example when opposing elements are combined and a certain amount of energy is released by expansion.
