Hesss Law Definition, Types, Examples & Uses

Hess's Law

Subject: Chemistry

Book: General Chemistry

Hess’s law states that if a reaction can be expressed as a series of steps, the enthalpy change for the overall reaction is the sum of the enthalpy changes for each step. This allows calculation of ΔH for reactions where direct measurement is difficult. By utilizing tabulated formation or combustion enthalpies, Hess’s law simplifies thermodynamic analysis in both theoretical and practical contexts.